Homecoming
by Neuropsych
Summary: Peter Quill comes back to Earth, looking for a figment of Gamora's imagination and Peter Parker just wants to have a nice relaxing dance with MJ. Nothing can happen, right?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So! new story! Which will - as you'll see, immediately - be bringing in new people who I really want to bring in, but haven't had the opportunity, just yet. Bear in mind my work schedule makes for weird posting schedules, now, but I'm here. I promise!_

OOOOOOO

"You look tired."

Gamora scowled, leveling a killer glare at Drax, who wasn't at all concerned by it.

"I'm fine."

"You fell asleep on watch, last night," Rocket added, shrugging. "Maybe you need a vacation. Hey, Quill? Let's take a _vacation_."

"I don't need a vacation," Gamora said, her jaw clenched so tightly that the words were practically forced out of her mouth. "I'm fine."

"You were mumbling about Quill in your sleep," Drax told her. "Is that normal for your kind?"

Peter Quill had been distracted by what he was doing with his control panel, but he looked up at that, his eyes amused and somewhat smug.

"You're _dreaming_ about me?"

"No."

"I heard you," Drax said, offended that someone might be calling him a liar. "You said "_Peter… we need to find Peter… He's in danger_."

Quill frowned.

"I'm in danger?"

"No. Why don't you all just drop it? It was a weird dream. Nothing more."

"You're dreaming about me being in danger?" Quill asked. "What kind of danger?"

"I wasn't dreaming about _you_," she snapped. "This is a different Peter. A _boy_."

"She's dreaming about other guys," Rocket told Quill. "So much for _your_ relationship. I told them all that it wasn't going to last."

"Shut up," Gamora told him. Then she looked at Peter. "It was just a weird dream. There wasn't anything to it. He's a child."

"Yeah? Where is he?"

"It doesn't matt-"

"If he's in _danger_ we should go save him."

"He's not-" she scowled, again. "You don't want to _save_ him. You just want to see what he looks like."

"No," he scoffed, trying – and failing – to look offended. "I think we should be living up to our title as guardians of the galaxy and keeping the galaxy safe."

"He's jealous," Mantis said. "He doesn't-"

"I'm not _jealous_," Quill interrupted. "Come on, Gamora… where is he? Let's go save him."

"Look, it was just a dream, alright? He's probably not even a real person – and probably not really in danger. Maybe I just made him up."

"Because you ate too much junk food before going to sleep on watch?" Drax asked.

"Exactly." She made a face. "And I didn't sleep on _watch_."

"I know what I saw."

"Where is he?" Peter asked, again. "In you dream where was he?"

She sighed.

"On Earth."

Rocket snorted.

"Another guy from Earth? That's even worse, Quill. She's not getting rid of you for someone more _exotic_. She's just dumping you for a different earther."

"We're called _Earthlings_," Peter told him, scowling at Gamora, who turned away. "And if he's on Earth, and he's in danger, then I owe it to my people to save one of them. Right?"

Rocket rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. You just happen to want to save the one Earther kid that your girlfriend is dreaming about… that's it. You realize how pathetic that sounds? Because it _does_."

"He's right; it _does_," Drax agreed.

"Let's take a vote," Peter said, turning to them, putting his hand up. "Everyone in favor of going to Earth and saving this kid from whatever danger he's in raise your hand."

Mantis raised her hand, but no one else did.

"Did I mention Earth has all kinds of interesting _weapons_? Technology and barbaric tribes of people who love a good fight?" he added.

Drax raised his hand, and Rocket shrugged and raised his hand, too.

"I am Groot…?"

"Yeah. Of course they have video games…"

The tree raised his hand, too.

Gamora just shook her head, threw up her hands and walked out of the room.

"And if we don't find this kid?" Rocket asked, as Peter started looking up the coordinates that he needed in order to lay the course they'd want. "Then what?"

Peter shrugged.

"It's still not a wasted trip; if nothing else, you guys can see where I'm from. It'll be like a homecoming, of sorts."

OOOOOOO

"Did you get your tickets, yet?"

Peter shook his head.

"Not, yet. They don't go on sale until Friday." He looked out the window at the passing scenery. "Besides, I still have to ask MJ. She might not even want to go – or to go with _me_."

Pepper smiled, glancing over at him before looking back at the traffic.

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's Homecoming," Peter told her. "It's not as formal as prom and she's been pretty busy, lately, what with getting everything going in her classes, and her extracurriculars – _and_ academic decathlon."

"Better get on it and ask her, then. Before someone else does."

She glanced over, again, hoping to see him blush – and he did.

"Maybe."

"Do you _want_ to go?" Pepper asked him.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I mean… it's _homecoming_."

"And you want to dress up and slow dance."

He flushed, but nodded.

"Yeah."

He _liked_ dancing – now that he'd been taught how to do it, and really the only chances that he ever had to do it were few and far between. Tony and Pepper's wedding had been the last, and that had been months ago. School was started, now, and with no other weddings on the horizon – as far as he knew – the homecoming dance was probably his only chance the rest of the year.

Pepper noticed his blush.

"There's nothing wrong with that, sweetheart. But you should definitely ask her. That way you can make plans. Is Ned going?"

"Yes."

"Good." She changed the subject, then, because she knew Tony would probably bring it up with Peter, again, later, and she didn't want to hound him on it. "Do you have homework?"

"No. I did it while I was waiting for you. I think I'll go patrolling after dinner, though."

"Are you feeling antsy?"

"No. I don't think so. I just want to make sure the world remembers that Spiderman's out there, somewhere."

Pepper smiled, impressed – as always – by the boy sitting beside her. School had started only three weeks ago, but he'd already gotten himself into the pattern of balancing home life, his friends, being the son of Tony Stark and all the recognition that came with that, as well as the crushing weight of his junior year of high school. Peter was doing well, and she and Tony were relieved.

Even the addition of a long dead alien wizard in his head didn't seem to be keeping him from maintaining things. Or maybe that was one of the reasons that he was handling it all so well. No nightmares that he'd mentioned. No sleepwalking in more than a month, and no hint of an incipient panic attack.

"I think the world knows you're there," she assured him. "Why don't you see if Tony's interested in patrolling with you, tonight?" she asked. "Not because I think you need him to keep you safe," she added, quickly, and with a smile. "But because he's been itching to try out the new infrared scanner that Shuri helped him design, and he hasn't had any reason to go out."

Peter shrugged.

"You don't need him?"

"I could spare him, just this once."

Besides, it would give Tony a chance to spend a little time with his son and make sure that there weren't any underlying issues that they weren't aware of, just then.

"Yeah. I'll ask him."


	2. Chapter 2

"_Can you see me?"_

"Yup."

"_How about now?"_

Tony rolled his eyes, even though no one could see it behind his mask – and because they were on the rooftop of one of the taller apartment buildings in Queens.

"You put your hand over your eyes, son," he pointed out. "That didn't really do much to make you _invisible_, did it?"

"_To you, maybe not,"_ Peter said. "_To your new scanners…"_

"Not _them_, either."

He deactivated the helmet of his suit and walked over to the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the city while leaning on the safety barrier. Nothing was going on, despite it being a Friday night, and the little borough of Queens was fairly silent. Of course, it was a lot less dangerous, now, than it had been only a year before. Not because of Peter going around as Spiderman – which did do some good, of course – but because the only criminals that did business there, for the most part, now, were petty ones.

People were still mugged, occasionally, and there were still stolen cars, purses and the usual prostitutes and minor drug deals, but the really serious stuff had vanished, for the most part, when the Russian mafia had pulled their people out – and had then made it clear from somewhere very high up in the organization that it would be a mistake for a different crime syndicate to decide to move in and fill the vacuum left by them.

No one understood it, but for some reason Queens was under the protection of the mob. Well, some people understood it, but there were only a few, and none of them were letting on what was going on.

Peter came swinging in and landed quietly beside him, making no sound as he walked over to stand beside Ironman.

"It's pretty quiet."

"Yeah. How's school going, so far?"

"Not bad."

"Anything I need to know about?"

"I'm going to drop PE and pick up a microbiology class."

Tony rolled his eyes. That wasn't news to him; Pepper had told him Peter was thinking about it when he'd met her and Peter in the garage. In case he decided that he wanted to be a _doctor_, or something. Tony decided that Peter was spending too much time with Stephen.

"Tell me again why you signed up for PE in the first place?"

The boy blushed.

"MJ had to take it, so I thought I'd keep her company."

"But…?"

"She decided to switch to gymnastics."

Which wasn't a class that Peter could really find interesting, Tony knew. Not to mention, if he were seen swinging on a bar, or doing flips, it might make people think of Spiderman – which wouldn't do.

"When did she do that?"

And how had he missed that tidbit of gossip?

"Today."

Oh. He changed the subject.

"Have you given any thought to what we discussed, earlier?"

Peter shrugged.

"You know her best. What do you think she'd _want_?"

"She told me that she doesn't want anything too extravagant and that we absolutely _cannot_ go anywhere – like we did for yours. Aside from that, it's open season, really."

"No puppy, or anything like that, though?"

"Right. She doesn't have time for a pet – and if she wants to cuddle something furry, she finds Nutmeg, Jack or Ironpig."

It was usually Nutmeg, though.

"We're going to make her dinner, right?"

"Yeah. But we need something _big _to fall back on. Just in case that goes south."

They were both silent, well aware that it was entirely possible that coking Pepper a birthday dinner could very easily go wrong. They'd burned down a cooking school, after all.

Peter started to say something else, but then looked up into the night sky, seemingly distracted.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Thought I saw something…"

Tony activated his suit helmet.

"Friday? Anything up there we need to know about?"

"_Nothing showing up – satellites aren't picking up anything."_

Since Peter was receiving the same information from Karen, Tony didn't bother to repeat it. He disengaged the helmet, once more.

"Is your gut telling you anything?"

"No."

"Is Alec?"

Peter smiled, keeping his mask activated, even though Friday would have told them if there were any surveillance cameras in the area doing any recording. It was just easier.

"Nope."

"Let's head home, then…" Tony told him. "Unless you think we need to stay out and wait for the bar rush?"

"No."

OOOOOO

"Well?" Pepper said, looking up from the book she was reading when Tony walked into their bedroom. "How fares the city?"

"Things are pretty quiet," he told her, sitting on the edge of their bed. "What are you reading?"

"This is called a _book_. There's no display, and it doesn't talk to you, but if you turn the page-"

"You think you're _clever_, don't you?" he interrupted, leaning over and kissing her.

She smirked.

"Yes. I spend too much time with you, probably."

"You don't spend nearly enough time with me," he told her, sincerely, which made her smile.

"How was your test?"

"The new scanners are great. Shuri's too smart for her own good, sometimes."

"People probably said that about _you_ all the time when you were sixteen…"

"It was true."

"Peter's home, safe?"

"Of course he is, momma."

"Did you ask him about homecoming?"

"We had other things to discuss. _Secret_ things."

"My birthday?"

He gave her a confused look.

"Is that coming up?"

"Tony…"

He looked at his watched, and made a show of doing some mental calculations.

"Let's see… it's September, now… and your birthday is in _February_… right?"

"Something _low key_," she told him, ignoring him and returning to her book.

"Of _course_, low key," he assured her, kicking his shoes off and sprawling on the bed beside her. "It's not like we're going to hire a circus, or anything."

"I mean it. Something with the others is fine, but not half of the city – and no trip. I want to spend it in my own bed."

He smiled, his expression turning just a little naughty.

"Well, if that's what you _want_…"

Which made her shake her head, and make a show of hitting him with the book in her hand.

"You think you're so smooth…"

"Sometimes."

She had to admit that he was – but not to _him_.

OOOOOO

"So…?"

Gamora looked at Rocket and Peter – who were both looking at her, expectantly.

"What?"

"There are billions of people on this planet, Gamora," Peter told her – in case she hadn't figured that out for herself in the short time that they'd been lurking just out of range of the numerous satellites. "And probably half are named Peter. We're going to need to know a little more than that if we're supposed to save the right one."

"I don't know anything about him."

"_You_ dreamed of him," Rocket reminded her. "Where does he live?"

She scowled.

"I'm not sure." But then, suddenly, she _was_. The frown faded, and turned into an odd expression – even for her – and she looked out the display at the planet that was spinning, lazily, below them. "Does New York mean anything to you?"

Quill nodded.

"Yeah. Of course." He tapped a few keys on the display and a well-lit continent came into the screen, which was then zoomed in on and became a well-lit cluster of lights near a large body of water. "What else do you have?"

"It's not the city," she told him. "It's _north_." She concentrated on something only she could see – or hear – and leaned forward, a little, toggling the control panel, further, until the very large city turned into a very small cluster of buildings – with a river on one side and trees on the other.

"It looks military," Drax said. "Good. This Peter child is probably a _soldier_."

"Our kids aren't soldiers," Quill told him. "Not until they're older."

"Why would he be living on a military facility, then?" Rocket asked. "Drax is right; that place screams military – or something like that. Police, of some kind?"

"I am groot…"

"Not all military places are surrounded by fences, Groot," Rocket said, looking over his shoulder at the tree, who had been looking at the screen, as well. "Some have other forms of defense…"

"We should just land and find this boy."

"And tell him _what_?" Quill asked, sarcastically. "Hey; you're in danger. How do we _know_? Because this woman who you don't know – and yes, we realize that she's _green_ – had a dream about you…"

"We should just go," Gamora said. "This was a bad idea."

"No. We're here, now," Peter said. "We'll figure out where the kid is, and do a little alien abduction, or something, bring him here, see what he knows about what might have him in danger, tell him not to do whatever it is and then pat him on the head and send him back to bed. Easy as pie."

Rocket looked at Quill.

"How is pie _easy_?"

"It _isn't_," Drax said, shaking his head. "I always get the crust too thick. I gave up a-"

"It's an _expression_," Quill interrupted. "Just… scan the place and see how many kids there are, so we can figure out which one is Peter. Then we'll grab him."

"Just like _that_, huh?" Gamora asked, her own expression verging on sarcastic.

"How tough could it be?" Peter said, giving her his cockiest look. "He's a kid."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N So regarding the technology that will be used in this story: I'm going to assume. The guardians have some impressive alien tech, but I could be wrong. If I am, though, just assume it's me using artistic license and don't correct me heh!_

OOOOOO

"_So are you going to homecoming?"_

Peter shrugged, even though Ned couldn't see it over the phone – and Nutmeg dug claws into his shirt to avoid being displaced by the motion.

"I _want_ to. But I don't know if MJ is planning on it. Did you hear her say anything?"

Ned had more classes with her than Peter did.

"_She hasn't said anything to me, but you know she'll go if you ask her."_

"I don't want her to think I'm just assuming she's at my beck and call," Peter said, uncertainly, rubbing a finger along Nutmeg's nose and smiling when the kitten pounced on it and started gnawing on it. "We're-"

"_Just call her, Peter,"_ ned interrupted. _"Stop being such a wuss."_

Peter laughed.

"I'm not."

"_When's Natasha coming back?"_

"Sunday. Same as Steve and Carol."

Ned knew that; the fact that Natasha wasn't at the compound was one of the reasons that his friend had decided not to come out that weekend. Peter was his friend and they had a pretty good time hanging out, but Natasha watching was one of Ned's favorite forms of entertainment.

"_You hanging out with Pepper and Tony?"_

"Yeah. Tony went patrolling with me, tonight."

"_Seriously? Awesome. Anything interesting happen?"_

"He wanted to try out Shuri's new scanners. Nothing interesting happened. Pretty boring night, really. It has been the past couple of times I've gone out."

"_Well, better to be bored than have some kind of crazy alien invasion…"_

Peter smiled at Ned's obscure reference to the skrull incident before school started.

"True." He felt his stomach suddenly tighten, just a little, and frowned, sitting up in his bed and looking around – catching Nutmeg when he tumbled off his chest. "I need to go, Ned…" Peter said. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"_Let me know if Natasha comes home, early."_

Peter rolls his eyes.

"Yeah. See ya."

He ended the call, looking around and then standing up and walking to the window. Looking out over the field, he didn't see anything that would make his spider senses tingle like they were, just then – and it was the faintest of sensation – not something that made him think anything _terrible_ was happening.

Serious enough to need to checked out, though.

"Karen? Ask Friday to tell Tony I'm not sleepwalking."

"_Sure."_

"_You don't think you should let him know something's up_?" Alec asked.

"Nothing _is_, yet," Peter said, walking through his quarters, pulling on a sweatshirt and settling Nutmeg on his cat tree before closing the door behind him. "If I find something wrong, I can let him know."

Unspoken (but still heard by the alien in his head) was the fact that he didn't want to pull Tony out of bed if it wasn't important.

"_He wouldn't mind."_

"I know. _I_ would, though."

There weren't a lot of people at the compound that weekend. Steve and Natasha had gone with Clint to North Carolina to take a large group of new SHIELD recruits to a training session with some special forces. Carol Danvers had joined them, interested as always to see how that was handled. There were always agents around, though, as well as security forces – and of course _Tony_ was on the premises, so Peter wasn't too concerned.

"_Peter?"_

Not surprisingly, Tony's voice came through his communication watch.

"Yeah."

"_What's up?"_

"I'm just checking something outside," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's nothing. I just didn't want you to think I was sleepwalking."

"_Are you feeling something?"_

"Yeah…"

Peter was in the corridor and nearing the entrance to the area by the field by then.

"_Hang on. I'll be right there."_

"It's probably nothing serious," the boy pointed out. "You don't need to-"

Just as he reached for the door, it swung open and Peter found himself face to face – kind of – with a raccoon. A raccoon that was standing on its hind legs, dressed in some kind of outfit and holding a large (_for it_) gun of some sort.

The thing looked at him, the gun coming to bear on Peter – who brought his hands up.

"Are you Peter?" the raccoon asked him.

"_You've got to be kidding me…"_

Peter was so shocked that he didn't answer and he barely heard Alec's reaction, either. The mobile face of the raccoon made an annoyed expression.

'"Kid? Are you _deaf_? Are you _Peter_?"

"Yeah. What-"

"_Peter?"_

Tony's voice was coming from his communicator, just as the security alarms went up all around the compound – alerted by FRIDAY that someone was there that didn't belong.

The boy and the raccoon were looking at each other, and Peter was jerked from his shock by the appearance of a strange man coming through the door behind the raccoon – and behind him what looked like a moving tree with eyes and a mouth.

"Hey, we don't have _all day_ to – oh." The man looked at Peter – and he, too, was holding a weapon in his hand. "Is this him? Are you _Peter_?"

The sound of shouting coming down the corridor brought the guns in the hands of the newcomers down, facing that direction, and Peter's hands were suddenly glowing, slightly.

"Who _are_ you?"

"Come with us, kid," the man said, reaching for him with the hand that didn't have the weapon. "We'll introduce ourselves later."

Predictably, Peter stepped back, easily, out of the man's grip – even while Alec was making himself known in the boy's head.

"_He's here to help you,"_ the ancient sorcerer said. _"At least, he believes that he is."_

The boy didn't have time to listen, just then. Several things were happening at once. And he had no intention of going with anyone he didn't know – he was long past the days when he was an easy grab. The raccoon brought the gun up – and while it seemed to be aiming at _Peter_, he knew instinctively that it was being aimed at someone behind him – or at the sound of approaching people.

The guy who grabbed at him stepped forward, as if to make another attempt, and a spell roared through the boy's mind – compliments of the mind stone or Alec, he wasn't sure – and it didn't _matter_. A sweeping motion of his right hand brought blue light that seemed to freeze everything in the area for just a moment, and then sent the raccoon and the man both to the floor of the corridor, bonelessly.

He was turning to see who was coming and moved just in time to avoid a sweeping tree branch that had aimed at his head and a deep voice shouting the names _Peter_ and _Rocket_, even though it sure sounded a lot like _I am groot_, as well.

Tony and several SHIELD agents – security forces and people who had been roused by the alarm raised – came storming down the corridor, the Ironman suit leading the charge, and Peter belatedly activated his own suit, sans the helmet.

As Peter turned, Tony's hand came up, pointing at him and fired. The blast went over his shoulder and he heard a grunt as the repulser blast hit the tree that had been attacking him, knocking it back, out of the corridor and into the open air right outside.

A shouted warning from Alec had Peter raising his hand before Tony could fire, again.

"Wait! Don't kill him."

Tony came to a halt, the SHIELD guys behind him. He looked at Peter; immediately checking for any sign of injury, and then at the three bodies splayed on the floor – and out the door.

"What the hell is going on?"

Before replying – urged by Alec – Peter made another wide gesture with his hands and now it was a green light that swept from his hands – this time aimed upward. It shot through the ceiling and vanished.

"I'm not sure…" he admitted. "But they were after me…"

OOOOO

"Shit!"

"I _told_ them to let _me_ take the lead," Drax said, already gathering up his weapons. "Send me down there. I'll take care of it all."

Gamora shook her head, her eyes on the display in front of her, and her fingers moving, quickly.

"I'm just going to bring them back. I told him this was a dumb-"

Mantis suddenly made a squeaking noise, her eyes wide as she looked out the forward viewer.

"What is _that_?"

Gamora and Drax both watched as the green light suddenly came from nowhere, enveloping their ship before she could activate any kind of evasive maneuver. Alarms screamed all over the ship and the internal lights blinked, twice, and then everything went dark.

"What's happening?" Mantis asked in the blackness and silence that followed.

"We just got shot out of the sky," Gamora replied, trying to restart the power and failing as the Milano started plummeting toward the earth.


	4. Chapter 4

"Who are they?"

Peter ignored the question, running outside and almost tripping over the tree that had fallen across the door. It wasn't a real tree, he knew, but he didn't have time to consider the ramifications of that, just then. Tony and several of the others followed, while some stopped to secure the scene.

The boy stopped in the middle of the field, looking up into the night sky and Tony followed suit, standing beside him, suit engaged but helmetless at the moment. A faintly glowing light caught his attention, and Peter must have seen it, too, because his hands came up. Tony lifted his, as well, and then the repulser activated when he realized that what he was seeing was some kind of space ship – or craft – or whatever they wanted to call it.

"No…" Peter said, softly. "We're not killing it."

Tony scowled.

"You _sure_?"

"Yeah. We need to catch it."

Considering the thing was plummeting at insanely fast speeds, Tony hesitated for a moment.

"Put your helmet on."

Then he activated his own and was launching into the sky toward the falling ship.

Peter did as he was told, activating his helmet and then jerking his hands back up.

"What do I do?"

"_We can slow it down. Trust Tony to do what he thinks best to catch it."_

The spell came to mind, and Peter knew that he actually could have stopped the ship's fall completely, but that doing so would have wiped him out, and he definitely didn't want to be so exhausted that he couldn't find out what was going on – not to mention leaving Tony to tell Pepper what had happened.

Peter's hands were suddenly glowing and the force that shot out from them when the spell was unleashed was enough to light up the already well-lit field. It streaked through the sky, hurtling toward the falling ship and passing Tony, who stopped and hovered, waiting for Friday to tell him the best moment to catch the ship and bring it down.

OOOOOOO

"Get the systems back online!" Drax ordered.

"Yelling doesn't make it work any better," Gamora snapped, hands flying over the control panel. "It's not coming back up. Brace yourself because this is going to hurt."

Mantis scrambled under the heavy table, but she was still watching, and even through her fear her eyes widened.

"Someone is helping! Stop trying to fire the controls."

Drax and Gamora both looked at her like she was crazy, but then they felt their descent slow, a little at first, and then more – until it was possible to see more than just the heat of there passage through the atmosphere.

"What…"

OOOOOOOOO

"Now."

Tony launched the rocket boosters, once more, positioning himself in the Ironman suit under the belly of the ship – Which was large, but nothing like the two that had belonged to the skrull, as far as Friday's quick preliminary scan had informed him. He pressed his hands against the metal of the ship underbelly and felt the force of its fall driving him down.

"Fifty percent thrust, Friday," he ordered, and felt his suit react to the command, slowing the fall.

Peter watched as Tony positioned himself in position and fired the boosters on his feet, admiring – as he always did – just how amazing the tech was, and how incredible his adoptive father was.

"_He really is…"_ Alec agreed, making the boy smile.

"We need to move," Peter said, suddenly, realizing that the ship was going to land right where he and the SHIELD security people were standing.

Since they had no trouble seeing the ship – which was now much closer and closing fast – they all fell back to the side of the field, near the building, and the fallen tree.

"Wow…"

The landing was as smooth as one could hope, all things considered, and Tony dropped to the ground as soon as the landing gear of the ship touched down. He then moved to the side, noticing that Peter and the security force were moving to stand beside him.

"Who's on board?" Tony asked, not disengaging the helmet.

"I don't know," the boy admitted. "I just know that they think they're saving me."

"From what?"

OOOOOOO

"What do we do, now?"

"They must have captured Peter…" Gamora replied, looking through the front view screen. It didn't show her anything, though. Only a field and some trees. "We'll have to negotiate to get him and Rocket back."

"Or we can just kill them all and take them back," Drax pointed out.

Gamora rolled her eyes.

"Whoever they are, they have this Peter child. We need to warn him. So we need to talk to them."

"And get Quill back…" Mantis said.

"Right." She hit the hatch command switch and moved toward the door that was now opening, catching the other two in her peripheral vision as they moved to come in behind her, flanking her. "Let me do the talking."

OOOOOOOOO

There was a sudden clanking sound and a hiss, and the door on the ship suddenly disengaged and began to open, stairs coming out to form all the way to the grassy field. Peter retracted his helmet, and Tony looked over at him, scowled and tapped the housing on the boy's hip, making the helmet reform.

The boy turned to him and he shrugged, an impressive gesture in the suit he was protected by.

"Just keep it on, for now. Okay?"

Tony wasn't quite ready to trust that whoever was in the ship was really someone he was willing to allow near Peter, unprotected.

"Yeah."

There was another sudden motion, and suddenly Stephen Strange was walking across the distance between the edge of the field and where Tony and Peter were standing. The sorcerer was staring at the ship, and his hands were empty and ready. On his collar was the Cloak of Levitation, and it was clear that the sorcerer supreme was ready to stand beside his friends and allies.

"What's going on, Tony?" Strange asked, coming up to stand on the other side of Peter, the two men now flanking the boy, putting him in as protected a space as they could without making him leave.

"Someone came looking for Peter, apparently," Tony told him, turning back to the door. "Heads up…"

A figure was suddenly standing there, looking out of the portal at the people and the area, passing over Tony, Peter and Stephen as if looking for something – or someone – else, and then turned to look at the trio, now. They all saw it was almost certainly a female, and pretty, but didn't look like a skrull. She walked down the stairs and was followed by two other – equally odd-looking to the New Yorkers.

A male, bare chested and bald. Oddly colored and bulging with muscles, looking at them suspiciously, while the other was much slighter, blue and had…

"Are those antennas?" Peter asked, softly.

"Looks like it." Tony stepped forward, hand up but not exactly pointing at anyone. He disengaged the nanotech forming his helmet, trusting the others to watch for any threat. "Did you need something?" he asked the woman, correctly assuming that she was taking the lead.

She nodded, not moving, and all three of them were immediately reminded of Natasha Romanoff when looking at her. She looked around as warily as Natasha might.

"You have Peter. We want him back."


	5. Chapter 5

Tony scowled and took a step forward, his hand automatically reaching out and pushing Peter behind him, while Stephen mirrored his action on the other side until the boy was blocked from the three on the ship.

"_That_ isn't going to happen," he said with finality.

"We want Quill back," the brute standing behind the woman shouted, angrily. "_And_ Rocket."

"And Groot," the blue person with the antenna added.

Now Tony frowned.

"_Who?"_

"That's the guy I took out," Peter explained, getting the information from Alec – who was, presumably, getting it from their minds since they were close enough for him to do so. "And the raccoon and the tree. The guy's name is _Peter_, too."

Tony looked back at Peter, clearly surprised.

"The guy from outer space is named _Peter_?"

"Worry about that later, Tony," Stephen suggested. _He_ hadn't turned his attention from the newcomers. "Let's sort the important things, first."

"Yeah." He looked back at the woman. "What are you doing here?"

That was blunt enough.

"We're looking for someone."

"Named _Peter_," the blue woman added. "Gamora dreamed about him."

The green woman scowled.

"What part of _let me do the talking_ don't you understand?"

"_All_ of it," the brute replied. "Or she wouldn't _be_ talking, would she?'

"They don't mean us any harm," the blue woman said. "As long as we don't want to hurt Peter."

"We're not here to hurt anyone," the green woman said. "Neither are our friends."

"They pulled weapons on my people," Tony said, pointedly.

"Not to harm. Are they hurt?"

Tony looked back at Peter, who disengaged his helmet – again – and shook his head, understanding that Tony was asking if the spell he'd used to take down the strangers in the corridor had been lethal.

"The tree…" Peter added. "It might be."

"You hurt Groot?" The big guy asked, scowling and taking a step forward.

Tony lifted his hand, immediately, at the motion, but the green-skinned woman's own hand had come up to stop his advance before it became threatening.

"We got off on the wrong foot," she said. "How do we correct it?"

Tony looked at his son.

"Are they going to cause trouble?"

"Alec says no."

The billionaire lowered his hand.

"We go check on your people, and make sure they aren't inured." He noticed the sidearm she was wearing. "_No_ weapons, though."

He would trust Alec, but things could happen, and a firearm made a misunderstanding a lot more serious.

The woman hesitated, and then nodded.

"Fine."

She went back into the ship and the bulky man did, as well. A moment later both returned and neither was wearing any visible weapons. She led the way down the stairs, moving toward Tony, who once more moved in between her and Peter.

"I am Gamora."

Tony nodded.

"Tony Stark." He gestured to Strange, who was watching them all with his intent gaze. "This is Stephen Strange…" only a slight hesitation – but noticeable. "And my son, Peter."

All three of the newcomers looked at Peter.

"_You_ are the one Gamora dreamed about," the one with the antenna said.

She looked awed.

Strange frowned.

"What do you _mean_, dreamed about?"

"Dreaming is when you fall asleep and have pictures moving in your mind," the large man explained, patiently.

Gamora rolled her eyes but was visibly amused at the somewhat confused expression on Strange's face.

"This is Mantis," she introduced. "And Drax."

"The _Destroyer_," Drax added.

"You dreamed about Peter?" Tony asked Gamora, directly.

She looked at the boy, studying him, and then nodded.

"I _did_. It's a long story and I'd like to make sure my friends are uninjured before we continue it."

Tony nodded, and turned toward the building.

"Stephen? Can you cloak their ship, please? In case anyone happens to have a satellite going overhead."

"_We_ can hide the ship," Gamora said, pulling a device and pressing it. A moment later the ship shimmered and then vanished.

Tony's lips quirked in what might have been a smile, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned and led the small group – and their escort of a few SHIELD security people – across the field toward the building.

The first thing they came up to was the fallen tree, with a couple of agents looking down at it, weapons in hand, but not looking all that confident that they were needed.

"What is it?" Strange asked as all of them stopped.

"He's _Groot_," Gamora answered, kneeling down beside the tree – which didn't look too threatening sprawled in the grass but had definitely been spooky when it was attacking Peter. "A sentient form of plant. What did you hit him with?"

There wasn't any blood, Peter was relieved to see. There was a dented area in the middle of what would have normally been a person's chest – proving that there wasn't anything wrong with Tony's aim.

"A repulser blast," Tony answered, activating his helmet, and Peter knew that he was interfacing with FRIDAY – probably running all kinds of scans on the tree as well as the other two.

"Will he be alright?" Peter asked, kneeling down, as well, and reaching out to touch it, curiously, just as it started shuddering.

"He seems to be coming around," Gamora said, also touching Groot.

"Stand back," Mantis warned. "He is angry and –"

Sure enough, the eyes opened, just then, even as Peter stood and backed off, finding himself once more being pulled behind Tony's armored body. The tree lurched upright, looking around, wildly, and Gamora raised her hand.

"Easy! It's okay."

"_I am groot!"_

Even as it spoke, Peter was able to translate in his head, and while the others heard I am groot, he heard _where's Rocket_.

Obviously Gamora heard the same thing, because she spoke, again.

"He's fine, Groot. Relax, okay? We're getting things straightened out, now."

"I am groot?"

"Why does he keep saying that?" One of the SHIELD people asked, confused.

Peter was staring at the tree, unable to hide the surprise in his expression. It was like something out of Lord of the Rings come to life, really, and was incredible As if aware of his scrutiny, the tree turned its expressive eyes on him.

"I am Groot."

"I'm Peter," the boy told him, in reply.

"What did he say?" Strange asked, curiously.

"He said he's _Groot_."

"You can understand him?" Gamora asked, surprised.

"Yeah."

"Stay here, Peter," Tony said, moving inside the corridor, with Gamora, Stephen and Drax all following – along with the security people, of course.

He waited just long enough to confirm with FRIDAY that Peter wasn't following, and then stopped just inside the door, watching as his people checked over the other two fallen forms."

"That one looks human," Strange said, looking at the man.

"He is," Gamora confirmed. "He's from this planet, as a matter of fact. His _mother_ is, anyway."

"And the trash panda?" Tony asked, disengaging his helmet. "What is it? A pet?"

"No. It's _Rocket_ – and don't let him hear you call him anything derogatory," she warned. "It's his special point of fury."

"He talks?"

"Yes. Too much, most of the time."

The security people had called medics, who were now swarming the corridor as well, under the watchful eye of their protectors.

"Do we need a vet?" Tony asked, watching as a couple of them ran careful hands over the furry little form, but were clearly baffled by what they were seeing.

"No."

"Will he _bite_?" one of the medics asked.

"He might," Gamora conceded. "Just stay clear until he wakes."

It looked liked both were beginning to come around, if the noises that they were making was any indication. Peter and Groot walked into the doorway, standing beside each other and watching as Peter Quill groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, and then opened his eyes, looking around.

"What the _hell_, man…? He asked, grumpily.

"Your plan was a terrible one," Drax told him, walking over – ignoring all the weapons that the security force had in their hands – and leaning over to offer him a hand up. "Next time, I will lead the infiltration team and you can be the back-up."

Quill frowned, looking around, still a bit dazed – even as Rocket opened his eyes and rolled enough to regain his feet, reaching for the gun that he was no longer carrying.

"Did we win?"


	6. Chapter 6

"The boy's people defeated you," Drax told him, and those who knew him saw that he was amused by that. "You barely made it through the _door_."

"We were _outnumbered_," Quill replied, automatically – and somewhat defensively. "Who _are_ you?" he added, looking at Tony, recognizing that he was probably the one in charge.

Or the one with the most armor on, anyway.

"Tony Stark. You?"

"Peter Quill."

They didn't shake hands – or even offer to do so. Despite Peter's assurances, Tony didn't like having the man in his compound – especially knowing that he'd tried to grab Peter. No matter what the reason. Never mind the additional aliens that he'd brought with him.

"How do you feel?" Gamora asked him and Rocket, both.

"My head hurts," Rocket complained.

"Fine," Quill said, at the same time.

"I'm sorry," Peter said from the doorway. "I overreacted."

Both of them looked at the boy, chagrined to have been taken out by someone so unassuming, and then at Gamora.

"Is he the one, then?" Quill asked her.

"Yes."

"'The one?'" Strange repeated.

"That she dreamed about," Rocket asked. "The one who is in danger."

"From _what_?" Tony asked, the same moment Stephen opened his mouth to ask.

"I'm not sure," Gamora replied. "But it's not just _him_. Something terrible is coming, and he's in the middle of it."

"If _he_ is the reason for it, we should just kill him," Drax said, reasonably.

Predictably, that didn't go over well. Tony's hand came up, the repulser already making the deadly noise that indicated it was engaged. Stephen's hands both were suddenly glowing, and every SHIELD agent in the corridor who heard him was suddenly tense, the silence following that particular statement deafened by the sound of several rounds being chambered into weapons.

Surprisingly, there was suddenly a tree branch wrapping around Peter, and he found Groot pulling him back, behind him, much in the same way Tony did whenever he thought there was a danger to Peter.

"I am _groot_!" the young tree snapped at Drax, even as the others all tensed, further, at the manhandling – and even Peter Quill had enough sense to realize that they were out-numbered and the comment hadn't been the brightest.

"Relax," Rocket said, to Groot. "No one's killing anyone." He turned to Drax. "He's a _kid_, Drax. You know better than that."

He _should_, anyway, came the unspoken and implied inflection. Drax had been a father.

Tony's hand didn't come down, and the others were following his lead, all still tense. Gamora spoke, next, and she was talking to Drax when she did.

"He isn't the cause of the trouble coming, Drax," she told him. "The _opposite_, really. He might end up being part of the solution."

The large man looked at her, blankly, for a moment, seemingly unconcerned by the weapons that were all turned on him. Then he smiled.

"We should probably _not_ kill him, then."

"You _think_?" Quill asked, sarcastically. "Besides, Rocket's right. We didn't come this far to meet him, only to hurt him."

Tony didn't look mollified, but Strange _did_ bring his hands down, and the glow faded.

"Why don't we all go sit down?" he suggested. "Then you can tell us what exactly you are doing here…"

And Tony could have a drink. He definitely looked like he needed one.

"Good idea," Gamora approved, looking at Stark, who was still watching Drax, although he clearly wasn't sure what to think of the way the tree had suddenly formed so many branches and had a fairly firm hold on Peter. Only the fact that the boy wasn't stressed about it, and the tree had put itself between Drax and Peter were stopping him from going completely ape-shit at the contact. "Do you have a place we can talk?"

Peter was looking at Tony, too, and he understood completely why things were still so tense in the corridor. He didn't need Alec to explain that to him, he simply had to look at the expression on his father's face. And how pale it had gone at the blatant threat.

"We could go to the lounge," he suggested, directing the comment to Tony.

Stark scowled, and grudgingly lowered his hand, finally. The SHIELD people relaxed, nominally, as well, when he did.

"Yeah. Let's go to the lounge." He nodded to the leader of the SHIELD people. "We've got this," he assured her. "Thanks for the assist."

She hesitated, still looking at the others – _Drax_ in particular – suspiciously, but then nodded and waved her people back to whatever posts they were supposed to be at, and the area was soon a lot less crowded – even though _she_ stayed, just in case, and her hand never strayed far from the now holstered weapon she was carrying.

"Thank you," Peter said, looking at the tree, who was now releasing him from the branches that had been holding him.

"I am groot."

"What did he say?" Tony asked.

"He said you're welcome," Rocket translated. "And that the kid doesn't need to worry about Drax, that he might say things like that, but he doesn't really _mean_ them."

The billionaire frowned.

"He only said _three words_…"

The racoon shrugged.

"It translates differently from Groot."

"Come on," Strange said, looking at Groot with interest, but well aware that Tony was probably the most volatile person in the hallway, just then. A clear indicator of that was the fact that he hadn't retracted the Ironman armor – as if he still anticipated the need to use it and its considerable weaponry. "I can't wait to hear this..."

Tony looked at him, and then at Peter – and finally at Drax, one more time. Then he nodded.

"Yeah."

"Where's Pepper?" Stephen asked, curiously.

"Shit. Friday? Give Pepper the all clear and ask her to come to the lounge."

"Who's he talking to?" Drax asked.

"The _air_," Mantis replied.

They all turned and followed the SHIELD agent, but Groot hung back with Peter – as did Tony.

"You're okay?" he asked Peter.

"Yeah."

The cloak on Stephen's collar detached itself, then, from where he was walking with Quill and Gamora – and clearly checking Rocket out – and swooped in to settle itself on Peter's shoulder. Obviously, it had decided that the danger was past, or it wouldn't have left Strange. The tree's eyes widened – it was the craziest thing to see – and he looked at Peter.

"I am groot?"

The boy smiled – and even Tony lost the suspicious look at the incredulous question. It was a walking, talking tree, and it was amazed by a floating piece of fabric?

"It's a cloak," Peter replied, in English. "And a friend of mine."

The fabric caressed Peter's cheek, and Groot reached out a tendril of a branch toward it. Tony watched, wondering why he suddenly had the feeling that the tree guy was maybe not all that old. It certainly seemed to hold the same qualities of wonder that Shuri and even Peter and Ned did when they saw something so unusual. He waited for the cloak to slap the branch away – it didn't like people touching it (or Peter) – and Tony knew it.

Instead, a corner that wasn't busy reassuring itself no harm had come to Peter lifted enough to intercept the branch and it held still to allow the tree to touch it.

"I am groot."

"It's magic," Peter replied. Then he looked at Tony. "He asked how it flies."

"Oh." He hesitated. "You stay away from Drax. Got it?"

"He's not going to hurt me."

"Peter…"

There was a time to be adorably naive, but this wasn't it.

The boy shrugged, understanding that Tony wasn't quite ready to forget the threat made to him by the alien.

"I'll stay clear."

"I am groot," the tree added, turning from the cloth it was touching to look directly at Tony.

"What did he say?"

"He said he'll keep an eye on me."

Stark rolled his eyes.

"Your mother is not going to like this…"


	7. Chapter 7

The newcomers looked around the lounge with interest as they entered the room, and Quill's eyes lit up.

"This is nice."

"I've seen better," Rocket said, although he was obviously impressed with the quality and cleanliness of the place.

It was empty at this time of the night, which was probably just as well, since the people walking into the room were more diverse than anyone ever seen in the room before – and that was saying something since there had been royalty, sorcerers, and even a god. Not to mention superheroes.

But they weren't a green woman, a talking racoon, a woman who looked right out of something from Star Trek with the antenna and fairly alien face.

And a talking, walking, _tree_, of course.

Strange led the way over to the corner table, pushing it against another to make more places for the newcomers to sit at, and he politely pulled a chair out for Gamora, and then the next for Mantis.

"Thank you," Gamora said, politely.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he offered as the rest of them sat down. "Coffee? Tea? Something stronger?"

"What do you got?" Rocket asked, perking up at the something stronger comment.

"We have everything," Tony replied, standing beside the table and watching as Peter and Groot walked around the room, the boy showing the tree the dart board, the TV and the video game systems. "Peter?"

The boy turned toward him just as Pepper walked into the room, and stopped at the entrance, her eyes taking in everything in front of her and her face plainly showing the shock she was clearly feeling. Then she saw Peter standing with Groot and she froze, looking at Tony, immediately, as if to ask what their son was doing with whatever it was he was standing beside.

The billionaire noticed her entrance immediately, and gestured for her to join him. As she walked over, Peter walked over, as well, intercepting her and giving her a reassuring smile.

"It's okay," Peter told her.

"What's…?"

"Pepper." Tony reached for her hand, and she noticed that he was wearing the Ironman armor that had activated as he'd initially reacted to FRIDAY's first warning about the strangers forcing their way into the compound. "Come meet our guests."

She looked at them, and they were watching her, all of them noting that Stark was still somewhat keeping his armored body between them and his family. Strange wasn't surprised by the action, but he did wish that Tony would lose the armor. The sorcerer understood where he was coming from, but it didn't show a lot of trust on his part.

However, the very fact that he'd invited them to meet Pepper at all was showing that he was willing to think about it.

Pepper looked at them all, waiting for introductions, and Tony did the honors. He pointed to each as he said their names, and Stephen was impressed that he didn't stumble over any of the names. The man _was_ a genius, after all.

"Gamora, Mantis, Rocket, Peter Quill, Drax – the _Destroyer_ – and the tree is Groot."

Each lifted a hand, or made a motion of their head when Stark said their name, and she lingered on Groot for a long moment before realizing she was being rude staring.

"It's a pleasure…" she told them, trying to make it really sound that way.

"This is Pepper," Tony told them all. "My wife, and Peter's mother."

"He does not look much like either of you," Drax said, looking at the boy and then the two standing next to him. "Are you certain she did not fornicate with someone else who fathered the boy?"

Gamora rolled her eyes, clearly wondering if Drax was _trying_ to start a fight with these people. Pepper, however, smiled – and even Tony managed not to scowl at the question.

"Yes," he answered, succinctly. "Pepper? They're here because of Peter, so I wanted _you_ to be here, too."

"What _about_ Peter?" she asked, looking at the boy, as if worried that he'd taken injury.

"Gamora dreamed about him," Peter Quill answered. "So I thought we should come and find him. To deliver the warning that he's in danger."

"By _abducting_ him?" Strange asked.

Quill made a face.

"Well, I _thought_ it'd be a good idea to come in low key… grab the kid and see what he was doing that was so dangerous, tell him not to do it, anymore, and then let him go and leave."

"That was your plan?" Stark asked.

"Not a good one, was it?" Drax said. "I told him to let _me_ come and take the boy. I would not have been caught, and you never would have known we were here."

Pepper frowned, and now she was the one who moved between her son and the strangers, probably without even realizing it. The action wasn't missed, though, and before she could say anything, Gamora spoke up.

"We wouldn't have hurt him," she told Pepper. "And we would have done anything we needed to do to keep him from being afraid."

She looked at Peter, who nodded. He had Alec, she knew, and apparently the ancient sorcerer was confirming the fact that the strangers didn't have anything nefarious planned as far as Peter was concerned.

"What _kind_ of danger?" she asked.

"I don't know," Gamora admitted. "That's why we're here."

"What kind of dream was it?" Strange asked. "How did you know it was Peter and not some other kid from Earth? Or on some other _planet_, for that matter?"

"Something told me. Something in my mind. I saw his face, and just knew where to find him."

"She was able to lead us right to this place," Quill added. "Where are we, anyway? Who are you people?"

"How did you take Rocket and Quill down so easily?" Gamora asked, curiously.

"It wasn't _that_ easy," Quill objected. "We just got caught off guard. The kid – "

"Kicked your asses, single-handedly," Tony said, feeling just a little smug and not bothering to hide it.

"I am groot?"

Rocket scowled at the tree.

"I don't know. It was some kind of light."

Pepper's gaze was alternating from the talking racoon to the talking tree and Peter could understand completely. The evening was crazier than anything that he'd ever had before, but he had a dead alien sorcerer hanging out in his mind and a flying magical carpet cuddling his ear even as he was thinking it.

It was amazing what you could get used to.

"You're in New York," Tony answered, ignoring the questions about how Peter had beaten them down. "At the Avenger's compound."

"Who are the Avengers?" Gamora asked, looking at Tony and then turning to Quill, who shrugged.

"I've never heard of them."

"You're from earth?" Stephen asked.

"Yeah. _Kind of_."

"How are you kind of from earth?"

Tony wasn't the only one confused by that statement.

"It's a long story."

"And he doesn't want to talk about it," Mantis said, speaking up from the other side of the table. "It is _personal_."

"He was abducted by his father who is – _was_ – a demigod," Drax added.

"But his mother was –"

"We don't need to talk about my mother," Quill interrupted Mantis before she could add anything else.

Peter's eyes widened, slightly, but Alec suggested that he not say anything, and Tony looked at him, as if waiting to hear what he was going to add. The boy shrugged, and Tony looked back at the people gathered around the table, and his armor suddenly retracted, leaving him dressed in the sweats and t-shirt that he'd been wearing, earlier.

"We can discuss this later," he said. "Right now, we should –"

Before he said anything else, there was another commotion at the entrance, and everyone turned toward the door.

"Oh…" said Mantis, looking suddenly alarmed.

"What's wrong?" Quill asked, curiously, just as a group of newcomers walked through the entrance.

There were three of them; two men and a woman. All in the same uniform and definitely with a military bearing and none of them smiling. Led by the woman, they walked over to the tables, intense gazes taking in everything – and everyone – in the room.

The men went to the table, the woman went to Peter Parker, who smiled, almost cheerfully, when he saw the serious expression on her pretty face turn to confused at the sight of the tree – and the other odd figures in the room.

"You okay?" she asked the boy.

"Yeah, Natasha. I'm fine."


	8. Chapter 8

Tony frowned.

"Aren't you supposed to be in North Carolina?"

"_South_ Carolina," Steve corrected, and he offered Carol Danvers a chair before he took his own. "And yes. Training with special forces."

"What are you doing back so early?" Peter asked, curiously.

Clint smirked, looking at the odd group of people – and _things_ – around the table, before turning to the boy.

"Nat had one of those heads-ups."

"What's going on?" Romanoff asked without preamble.

"Peter's causing trouble, again," Tony said. He winked at the boy, making sure he understood that he didn't mean it the way it sounded. "This time, though, apparently you're not the only one getting the message."

Peter rolled his eyes, relieved that Tony was relaxed enough to joke with him. It meant that he'd be able to keep Pepper from freaking out, too.

"_The more I see of him, the more he impresses me,"_ Alec said to the boy.

"Oh?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, but she didn't automatically go on the defensive – or the offensive. "What do you mean?"

"Have a seat, guys," Tony suggested. "It's a bit of a story, and we haven't really had a chance to hear it, ourselves."

Romanoff waited until the others had seated themselves, and then sat across from Gamora, next to Stephen. She noticed, immediately, that despite his laidback words and teasing, Tony was seated beside Peter, and Pepper had taken the other position next to him, leaving Groot to sit next to Rocket, who was watching all of the earthlings with caution.

"Something to drink?" Strange offered – again.

"Coffee for me," Tony told him, watching the newcomers, because Stephen hadn't made a move to stand up – which meant the sorcerer supreme was about to put on his own display of power and resource.

Sure enough, an instant later there was a steaming mug of coffee in front of Stark, and Stephen turned to Pepper, who shrugged.

"Hot tea."

Natasha opted for coffee, as did Steve and Clint. Carol wanted something stronger. Peter wasn't even asked; a bottle of cola appeared in front of him, and then the sorcerer turned to Gamora, who was staring – as were the others.

"I am groot?"

"It's magic," Peter told him.

"Magic isn't _real_," Drax objected.

A glass of an amber liquid appeared in front of him, and he frowned, reaching out and touching it.

"It's a transporter," Quill said. "Like on Star Trek."

"Believe what you want," Strange said, shrugging. He turned his attention back to Gamora. "It'll have to be something I know," he told her.

"Anything with alcohol."

A glass and a bottle of bourbon appeared, and Rocket reached for the bottle, looking at it, opening it and then smelling it before looking at Strange.

"A glass, please?"

Strange nodded and another glass made an appearance in front of the racoon.

Mantis hesitated when Strange looked at her and she shrugged, looking at Quill.

"I don't know what to ask for."

"Can you make chocolate milk?" Quill asked, looking at Stephen, hopefully.

The requested drink appeared in front of both him and Mantis and now it was the sorcerer who hesitated, looking at Groot.

"He'll have water," Rocket said.

"Seriously… I don't know how you did that, but I approve," Quill told Strange, drinking his chocolate milk down.

"So, you were mentioning why you're here…" Natasha reminded them.

"I had a vision," Gamora said. "A dream, maybe – I'm not sure that I was asleep, but I definitely saw him in my mind, and was pretty much told that he was in the middle of something extremely dangerous."

"Told by whom?" Tony asked.

She shrugged.

"I don't know. It wasn't a voice, though. It just popped into my head."

"So, like I said," Quill added. "We found out about it, and figured we'd come see what was going on and hand out the warning where we could."

"Think it was the mind stone?" Tony asked Stephen.

"It's a good guess."

Gamora frowned.

"Wait. What?"

"The mind stone is one of several ingots of power that predate the dawn of the universe," Strange told her. "They're-"

"It's an infinity stone?" Quill asked.

"Wait. Like the power stone?" Rocket asked, looking surprised.

"You've heard of them?" Stephen asked.

"We've come across one," Gamora said. "What do _you_ know of them?"

"Plenty."

"They have one here," Mantis said, suddenly.

"_She's an empath,"_ Alec said to Peter. _"Which means she can get into the emotions of the others and is probably extremely adept at understanding what she's feeling."_

"_Not into mine?"_

"_No one can get into your mind – or your feelings,"_ the ancient sorcerer told the boy, confidently. _"Between what Strange and Wong did, before me, and the protections I give you_."

"Here on earth?" Quill asked, eyes wide. "Are you kidding me?"

"No." Strange took the lead in the conversation – rightfully so. "We have an infinity stone, here."

"Then your entire planet is in danger," Gamora said. "If Thanos finds out about it, he'll come looking for it, and he'll kill everyone on your planet to get it from you."

"Thanos?" Strange glanced at Tony before looking at her. "We've heard that name. Who is he?"

"Gamora's adopted father," Drax told them.

"He's a madman," she said, her expression emotionless. "He wants the stones to fulfill a self-imposed destiny."

"What?" Tony asked. "Do you know what his endgame is?"

"He thinks that he can save the universe from themselves by destroying half of the life on every world."

"What?"

Strange wasn't the only one to stare at her – including the people who had come to earth with her.

"_That's insane…"_ Alec said, and even _his_ normally calm mental voice was shocked.

"_Could it be true?"_ Peter asked. _"Would the stones make someone be able to do that?"_

"_Combined? Maybe."_

Gamora was unaware of the mental conversation – as were the others around the table.

"It's all I heard as a child," she said, and her expression was now just a little bleak. "He believes that if there are half as many people, that will leave the remaining resources for those who are left. If he manages to obtain the stones, he'll use their combined power to do it."

"He's mad…"

Gamora turned to Quill, who had been the one who spoke – although every face around the table looked stunned, worried, or scared, suddenly.

"Yes." _She_ looked at Tony. "He's already started, without the stones. When I was a child, his armies came to my world and massacred entire swaths of the population – regardless of age, or rank or gender."

"I don't get it…" Rocket said, softly.

"Her adoptive father wants to kill half the universe," Drax said, slowly, as if to explain.

The racoon scowled.

"I get _that_. I mean, it's _nuts_, of course, but I understand that there's a motivation behind it. What I _don't_ get is what any of this has to do with Peter, here. He's just a _kid_, after all. What could he do to help?"

The Avengers all looked at Tony, understanding that none of them had the right to respond to that. Even more; _Strange_ did, as well – and for the same reason. Tony looked at Pepper, but _she_ looked at Peter, her expression suddenly extremely worried. Bolstered by Alec, Peter was able to keep his expression clear of the fear and concern that he suddenly felt.

Not for _himself_, but if half of the universe was at danger, that meant half of his universe was in danger. Tony or Pepper. Natasha or Stephen. Clint or Steve. Or all of them, really. There was guarantee that any of them would survive whatever this Thanos tried.

Peter didn't trust the universe to spare any of them just for him. Quite the _opposite_, really. He looked at Tony, and shrugged, giving the man who he knew loved him more than anything the permission to tell them.

Which would almost certainly open up a whole different can of worms.

"Peter can feel the infinity stones," Tony told them.

"_All_ of them?" Gamora asked – looking directly at the boy.

Peter glanced at Tony, and then shrugged before turning to the others.

"The mind stone pretty much all the time; the others at one time or another. I spent a while on the Astral plane and connected with them all to a point."

"How much of a connection?" Quill asked. "Would they listen to you if you told them to tell Thanos to pack sand?"

Pepper looked scandalized, but Peter smiled, forced to shrug.

"I don't know."

"Well…" Stephen said into the silence that followed as all of them thought about the ramifications of what they were learning. "Now we know the reason for the warning, don't we? And why it was _Gamora_ who was given this particular warning. She's the one who knows Thanos' plan and was able to warn _us_, as well."

"What do we do?" Pepper asked.

"We take the fight to this Thanos," Danvers answered. "Before he has a chance to kill anyone else – and _definitely_ before he gets his hands on any of the stones."

Tony held up a hand, even before Gamora could speak up – and probably shoot the plan down.

"Look. It's late and we're all tired – or you _should_ be. Why don't we get some sleep and take this up in the morning." He looked at the newcomers. "I assume you're not leaving tonight?"

Quill shook his head, looking at Gamora before turning to Stark.

"No. We can stick around as long as we need to."

"Good. We have guest quarters, here, unless you would rather sleep on your ship?"

"We'll sleep on our ship," Quinn told them.

"Good enough. We'll eat breakfast at 10am." He looked at his watch. "It's 2am, now." No wonder he was tired. "When you're up and about just walk through the door. My AI will let me know you're here and someone will come meet you."

"Sounds like a plan," Quill said, standing up.

Tony gestured to the SHIELD security people and they came over to show the group which exit to use.

"Keep your weapons on your ship, please," Tony added, as they all stood, impromptu meeting finished for the moment. "I don't want any misunderstandings while we're getting to know each other."

Gamora hesitated, but nodded, and looked at Drax and Rocket.

"That's fair."

"We'll see you in the morning."

The newcomers all left, and the Avengers, the sorcerer, Carol and Peter sat back down, almost silently, and Peter could practically feel them all worrying about him.

"_Nothing you can do about that,"_ Alec told him. _"They're going to worry, no matter what. Go to bed. It's late and will send them all to bed, too."_

"I'm going to bed," Peter said, standing up. He looked at the others and his gaze lingered on Tony and Pepper, especially. "Don't worry about all of this, okay? It's not happening any time soon – if _ever_."

With a final caress to his cheek, the cloak detached from Peter's shoulders to drift over to claim its spot on Stephen, who was also watching Peter.

He hugged Pepper, first, holding her for a long moment before moving to Tony. The billionaire brought Peter's hand to his jaw – more for his own comfort than the boy's, but he knew it was an important gesture to Peter, too.

"You know where to find us if you need us…"

"Yeah. Good night."

He left, and the others watched him go.

"Nothing we can do tonight, guys," Tony told them, reaching for Pepper's hand. "Get some sleep. Okay?"

They left, too, and Romanoff looked at Stephen.

"You'll be back in the morning?"

"I'm going to bring Wong, too. We'll need him, I think."

"We're going to need _everyone_, eventually," Clint said, looking concerned. Not surprisingly, since he had a family. "This Thanos guy needs to be stopped."


	9. Chapter 9

"What do we do?"

Tony shook his head.

"Nothing. Not now, anyway. We can't protect him until we know exactly what the danger is. Not to mention, if there's anyway for him to help us figure this thing out, we're going to need him."

"He's a _boy_," Pepper objected. "_Our_ boy."

"I know, honey," Tony assured her. "But he won't let us bury him somewhere safe if there's something that he can do to help. You know how he is; he's going to help if he can, because that's what he does. Our job is going to be to keep an eye on things, figure out what is going to happen, what – if _anything_ – we can do, keep him from doing anything foolish – or _dangerous_ – and then hide him someplace safe until it's over. _Probably_ Wakanda."

She lost a bit of the worried, concern in her expression, then. Obviously, Tony had already been thinking, and she approved of everything that he said. Especially when he mentioned Wakanda, since that would have been her first choice as a place to hide their son from danger. With the technology and the shields that the Wakandans had – and the fact that they were allies – she couldn't think of a safer place on the planet.

Nothing could get to Peter if he was in Wakanda.

Tony took her hand, and walked her through their quarters and into their bedroom. He made sure to not bother to close any doors – just in case Peter ended up joining them in their bed that evening, although in this instance it would probably be a toss up between theirs and Natasha's since she was back in the compound.

It would depend on whether he was more afraid about what was happening, or if he was more worried about how Tony and Pepper would be feeling.

"Come to bed, Pep," Tony cajoled. "We can't do anything, tonight, and if you look tired and worried in the morning, you know it's just going to worry _him_."

She frowned but let him pull back their blankets and followed him into the bed, cuddling up against him and putting her head on his shoulder. His arms came around her and he kissed her, lightly.

"Are you going to call T'Challa?"

"Not, yet. But him and Thor are both going to hear about this, eventually."

"And the government?"

He sighed.

"When we know more. Not, yet, though."

Pepper ran her fingers through his hair, lovingly, knowing that he was already bearing the weight of the world on those strong shoulders of his, and now – _somehow_ – he'd suddenly found the weight of the _universe_ there, as well.

"Go to sleep, Tony," she told him, lovingly. "There's nothing to solve, right now."

He nodded and closed his eyes, still holding her. But neither actually fell asleep right away.

OOOOOO

"Well? What did we learn?"

"Magic and transporters look the same."

"Quill and Rocket can't steal a child without being caught."

"I _really_ miss chocolate milk…"

Gamora scowled at the males walking into the main body of the ship behind her.

"_Seriously?"_

Quill shrugged.

"What _did_ we learn? This Peter kid is real – and these people have an infinity stone, somewhere."

"The _wizard_ has it," Mantis said. "At least, he was the one who reacted most intensely when it was brought up."

"It has to be the _Mind stone_, then," Gamora said. "It's the one that Peter connects to."

"So they _say_," Rocket added.

"They don't have any reason to lie about it," she pointed out, shrugging. "Besides, what else would be able to get into my mind to direct us where to go and who to talk to?"

"So, we can go, then," Drax said. "We delivered your warning. Why are we sticking around?"

Gamora sat down, looking at the others.

"Because they have _Peter_. If he can control the stones, then he's the best bet to stop Thanos. We have to be in a position to help them – if we can."

"If nothing else," Quill added. "We can get the information they have and warn the Nova Corp to safeguard _their_ stone."

The racoon shrugged, neither agreeing, or disagreeing.

"I am groot."

"Yeah. They seem nice enough. You're right."

"We'll see what we can learn," Gamora repeated. Then she looked at Peter and Rocket. "How do you feel? Any side-effects from being beat up by the kid?"

"He didn't _beat us up_," Quill objected. "He just got lucky."

"It would be interesting to see what other talents he has," Gamora said. She looked at Mantis. "Did you catch anything?"

She shook her head.

"I couldn't feel anything when I was near him."

"What?" Peter frowned, surprised. "Nothing at _all_?"

"No emotions, no leaking feelings of any kind," she confirmed.

"How is that possible?" Rocket asked. "I thought you could feel _everyone_."

"I could. _All_ of them – to an extent. Except the boy."

"Will the Mind stone block a person like that?" Quill asked. "Maybe _it's_ keeping Mantis out."

"It would certainly be proof of his control over it," Gamora agreed. She looked more hopeful, really, than Quill had ever seen her look since he'd met her. As if the terrible things that only she knew about were suddenly maybe not as inevitable as she'd always believed them to be. "We'll see what we find out, in the morning," she decided. "Then we'll make our plans, accordingly."

They all nodded their agreement – in one degree or another.

"We'll want to make sure the ship wasn't damaged when they shot us out of orbit, too," Mantis added.

"I'll look at it in the morning," Quill promise

She was his baby. Of course he'd make sure she wasn't damaged.

OOOOOOO

He wasn't asleep when she joined him in his bed. He wasn't surprised, either, really. He supposed it would be either her, or it would have been Tony and Pepper. Peter sometimes wondered if they had a special code the three of them used – through their communicators – that told them whose turn it was to come keep him company.

"_They seem to just decide based on what kind of situation it is_," Alec told him, amused, but also practically radiating approval for the way the people around Peter supported him. _"If it's something where you're in perceived danger, it's Natasha. If you're upset, then it's mom and dad. They probably have had it figured out for some time, now."_

He didn't answer; he was too busy moving a little over and shifting Nutmeg from his chest up to the pillow above his head to make room for her.

"Why are you still awake?" Natasha chided, gently, as she slipped under his blankets to join him.

Peter had the feeling that she'd simply said goodbye to Stephen, had showered and changed into comfortable sweats and a long-sleeved shirt and had come directly to his quarters without even trying to sleep in her own room. It wouldn't be surprising, really. Half the universe was a lot to have hanging over anyone's head, after all.

"Couldn't sleep."

She nodded.

"We'll get it figured out, baby. This Thanos guy isn't going to get close to you."

The certainty in her voice made him smile, and he felt better, even though there was no real reason that he should. He suddenly had the strangest feeling that, yes, Thanos would definitely end up looming large in front of him, someday – and he saw a brief glimpse of a huge, shadowy figure wearing armor that gleamed gold and a metal glove on his hand that shone with power.

"He's _crazy_, Natasha…"

She tucked him up against her, and Peter melted against her, easily, claiming the spot she reserved only for him, and the support and confidence that she was always willing to share with him.

"He's crazy, alright, baby. Because if he comes anywhere _near_ you – " and she was interrupted when Nutmeg decided to move back down to warmer territory and find the spot above their heads, but in her nest of already tangled curls and start purring, gently. "I'll kill him. And anyone else that he brings along to help."

"_I love her. You know that, right?"_

Alec approved of Romanoff's self-confidence.

"_Yeah. I do, too."_

Peter sighed, warm, and protected, and loved.

"Thanks, Natasha…"

"Go to sleep, baby," she told him. "Stephen's bringing Wong, tomorrow, for breakfast. I can't wait to see his reaction to Groot."

The boy chuckled, and went to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

His watch woke him the next morning, startling him.

"_Peter? It's probably not an emergency, but I could use your help at the field door."_

The boy nodded, even before he was really all that awake – and Natasha stirred next to him. She frowned and looked at him, but Peter pushed the button on his watch. Tony's voice didn't hold any real anxiety, so Peter didn't hurry, even as he rolled out of his bed.

"Be right there," he promised.

"Hold on and I'll come with you," Romanoff told him, also rolling out of the bed and running her fingers through her hair and looking down at herself, visibly debating whether she needed to change into something a little was casual.

Since Peter was in sweats and didn't want to take time to change, she just shrugged and the two of them left, heading for the door that led to the field.

"How did you sleep?" She asked, her hand resting on his shoulder.

"Soundly." He always slept well when she was with him – which he knew was the whole idea. He looked at his watch and saw that it was still very early. "Wonder what's going on."

They came around a corner and found a small group of people standing in the corridor near the exit that led to the field, including two SHIELD security folks and Steve, who was dressed in sweats, clearly ready for his morning run. Also in the corridor were Tony – and Groot.

Stark smiled, not at all surprised to see Natasha with Peter, or that they looked as if they'd just woke up.

"I need a translator, son. What's he saying?"

Peter looked at Groot, who held up his hands.

"I am groot?"

"He asked if he can go to the lounge," Peter translated. "Everyone's asleep on the ship and he's tired of waiting for them to wake up. He says it's boring."

Tony hesitated.

"They're not going to wake up wondering where he is and think we've kidnapped – _tree_-napped – him?"

"I am groot."

"He says he left a message."

"I bet it was a short one," Steve said, making Peter smile.

He wasn't the only one, and Groot did, as well.

"I don't have a problem with that," Tony replied. "He's not a prisoner, but it might make some of the others nervous."

"I'll go with him," Peter offered, looking at Groot to see if he minded the company. "That way I can translate for him if he needs something."

"You don't mind?" Tony asked.

"No."

Tony looked at Groot.

"Do _you_ mind?"

"I am groot."

Since the tree shook his head while saying it, Tony didn't wait for the translation.

"Have fun, then. If you need me, call – otherwise, I'm going back to bed for a while."

Natasha nodded.

"_I_ am, too."

Clearly they had already decided that Groot wasn't a threat to Peter, because none of them objected to the idea of him being alone with him. Of course, the boy had already taken the tree down, once, so they knew he didn't pose a physical threat, anyway.

The security left, and Steve moved past Groot, excusing himself to go outside and continue his interrupted run. Tony looked at Peter.

"Need anything?"

"No. We'll see you at breakfast."

He looked at Groot.

"I need to stop in my rooms and get some shoes on and get Nutmeg. You okay with that?"

"I am groot."

They walked down the corridor and Peter wondered what May would think if she saw her nephew walking through the Avenger compound with a walking, talking, tree. It made him smile when he thought of the way that she would probably shake her head in disbelief and probably come up with something smart-assed to say.

Peter opened his door and gestured for Groot to precede him. He watched as the tree looked around the living room, his gaze taking in the TV and the video game controllers that were sitting on the coffee table next to his laptop.

"I am groot?"

"No one. I live here, alone."

"I am groot…"

The boy smiled, picking up the controller closest to him and handing it over, just as Nutmeg came into the room to see who was talking. The kitten took one look at Groot and his fur puffed up all over and his tail went straight up in the air. Clearly his kitten wasn't impressed with his cat tree come to life and walking around.

Peter chuckled and picked him up, cuddling him with one hand and picking up the other controller with another.

"You play video games?"

He hadn't missed the hand held game the tree had been holding the evening before.

"I am groot."

"Sit down," Peter offered. "I'll show you how to play."

He settled his discombobulated kitten on the back of the sofa and showed his guest how to toggle through the various games and use the controllers, and then surreptitiously watched as Nutmeg inched his way closer and closer to Groot, who ignored the kitten in favor of learning how to drive through a Grand Prix game.

OOOOOOO

It was another hour or so later when FRIDAY announced to Tony that the other visitors had made an appearance at the door to the field.

"Send a security team to escort them to the lounge," he requested, not even opening his eyes. "I'll be there in a bit. Tell them to go ahead and start eating."

"FRIDAY?" Pepper said, also in bed and showing no interest in waking, just yet. "Where's Peter?"

"_In his quarters, Karen says."_

Tony frowned.

"He was going to go to the lounge with Groot."

"Where's Groot?" Pepper asked.

"_Peter's quarters."_

"Are they alright?" Tony clarified.

"_Karen says they're playing video games."_

Tony rolled his eyes and cuddled Pepper close for a moment.

"Should have known."

"True."

"I'm going to go eat breakfast with them and see if I can learn the secrets of the universe. What did you want to do today? Hang nearby? Or go into the city?"

He knew that she'd intended to make a few stops at the homes of various friends, but that had been the plan _before_ the spaceship had landed in the field. He just wasn't sure, now, if she wanted to keep that schedule.

He wasn't surprised when she shook her head.

"I'll come join you in a little while. If something comes up, though, call me, alright?"

"You know I will."

He kissed her and then got out of their bed, reluctantly, and headed for the bathroom.

OOOOOOOO

"This place is pretty nice," Rocket said, walking into the lounge with the others.

"So you've already said," Gamora reminded him.

"It's still true this morning."

"We were advised to suggest you go ahead and start ordering breakfast," one of the security people told them when they sat down at the same table they had the evening before. "I can get you menus, if you'd like."

"That'd be great, thanks," Quill said, approvingly. "Any idea where Groot is?"

"That's the tree?" the man clarified.

"Yeah."

The security team didn't even have to ask. With FRIDAY keeping track of every member of the group and constantly feeding that information to the compound security, it wasn't a problem for him to answer.

"They're on their way here, now."

Clearly, Groot and Peter weren't the only ones, because even as the menus were being handed out, a commotion at the entrance showed Clint and Steve walking in with Carol Danvers. All three made a bee-line for the tables in the corner, and settled in chairs more than willing to continue getting to know their visitors better.

"How did you sleep?" Steve asked.

"It's been a long time since I woke up to birdsong," Peter said. "I forgot how annoying it could be."

"At least you don't have deer gnawing on you," Clint replied with a smile.

"You have deer here?"

"Yes. They'll usually graze in the field in the morning. But early."

"You're from earth?" Carol asked, curiously.

"I am."

"How did you end up in outer space?"

He shrugged.

"It's a long story."

"He was abducted," Drax told them. "By –"

Before he could explain, another movement at the entrance, and this time it was Peter and Groot walking in.

"What the hell is that?"

Steve wasn't sure exactly what Rocket was referring to. The two newcomers were talking, animatedly, as they walked, and Nutmeg was perched on the tree's shoulder, looking around as he was carried over to the tables. Peter reached up and plucked the kitten from Groot's shoulder and set him up on the cat tree next to the table.

"That's a cat," Quill answered. "You've seen them."

"There are cats in space?" Peter asked, curiously.

"There's _everything_ in space," Drax replied. "Including nothing."

Peter looked at him, uncertainly, as if trying to decide if he was making a joke, and Rocket just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, kid," the racoon told him. "He grows on you – after a while."

Peter sat down, noticing that they were holding menus. He hadn't even known there _were_ menus.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked, somewhat curious if they even really ate normal food. Well, _Quinn_, yeah, but the others?

"What do you suggest?" Gamora asked the boy, studying him anew in the morning light, with some sleep under her belt.

He was so unassuming, but there was obviously a lot more to him than meets the eye. Her own dreams about him aside, the boy had no trouble communicating with Groot and from what she'd heard from the three, he'd been the only one in the hallway when they'd been knocked out.

Peter's smile was friendly and warm.

"Pancakes?"

"Oh! Yeah. _Pancakes_," Quill agreed, setting the menu on the table with finality. "That's what I want."

"What is a pancake?" Mantis asked.

"Cake for breakfast?" _Rocket_ asked.

"I will have cake," Drax assured them.

"And eat it, too," Danvers said, watching the aliens with interest – even though she. Herself, had been in space for years, now, and surrounded by odd looking people.

Drax frowned.

"Of course I will eat it."

Steve smiled. These people were interesting, if nothing else.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Interesting question brought up in a review, so I will address it and apologize in advance. I have a couple of times already in his short appearance in this story referred to Peter Quill as Quinn. I have a friend who looks a lot like Chris Pratt named Quinn and when I write a scene with Quill, I see Quinn and try to put him in instead. I will try very hard to catch the times that I do that, but like I said, I'll apologize now if I miss it and it throws off the story. I hope you guys are enjoying this one. It's been a long time coming to get a chance to bring the guardians in._

OOOOO

Meals were usually fairly informal in the lounge. Which was why Peter enjoyed eating there – although he would occasionally eat in the commissary with the grunts, sometimes, because they were a lot of fun, too. Mainly because it was secretly fun for him when he watched them try to watch their language around him, in deference to his age. They all did it; the men and women alike, to varying degrees of success.

Besides, he learned a lot of good jokes when they didn't think he could hear them.

Breakfast with aliens? Even better, really, as far as he was concerned. While they waited for their meal, Carol and Steve – mostly Carol – asked the newcomers about themselves, referencing places out in space that none of the others at the table had even heard of, much less seen. She wasn't an interrogator like Steve (or Natasha, of course) but she had a friendly enough face and was a good listener – and asked intelligent questions.

By the time their pancakes were being delivered by a somewhat still wide-eyed morning staff, they had heard a little about Quill's background, and about Drax's family, since the bulky odd-colored man had no hesitation about telling them his history and how many people he had killed and why.

"Not the best breakfast conversation," Gamora said, finally, noting Peter's expression was somewhat sad and maybe a little green at the most recent description of how he'd torn a man's head from his body. "Why don't we change the subject to something less gory?"

"How did you all meet?" Peter asked, curiously, his breakfast ignored for the moment. "At a spaceport? Like Mos Eisley?"

Quill's eyes lit up, and he pointed at Peter.

"Star Wars."

The boy nodded with a grin.

"Yeah. You saw it?"

"_Saw_ it? Jesus, kid, I _lived_ that shi – _stuff_. You wouldn't believe the freaks and weirdoes I grew up with once they plucked me out of that field. There was this guy with green hair that could literally shoot fire out of his eyes."

"Wow."

"Right? Made me wish I had some marshmallows every time I saw him do it."

Peter laughed, but there were a few blank stares from Quill's own companions at that comment.

"No marshmallows in space?"

"Nope. Must just be an earth thing, I guess."

"No _pancakes_, either," Drax said, and the boy was shocked to see that he'd already finished his plate. "They are good, though. We should bring some with us when we go."

"I am groot."

"I can make them," Quill said to Groot. "I _think_." His eyes grew a little distant. "I watched it done enough times, every Saturday morning since I was old enough to stand on a chair and help my mom do it."

Since Peter remembered doing the exact same thing with May, he understood the look, completely.

"We can make sure you get a lesson or two before you guys leave," Clint said – and his expression was sympathetic as he watched both Peters remembering happy times from their childhoods – even if they were many years apart. "If nothing else, _I_ can show you how."

"You can make pancakes?" Drax asked.

The archer smiled, and shrugged.

"I'm a man of many talents. What can I say?"

"_Anything_. Until someone puts their hand over your mouth – or gags you."

Rocket rolled his eyes – as did Gamora – but before anyone could say anything else, the boy felt an arm come around him from behind and the scruff of facial hair brush his cheek.

"What's for breakfast?" Tony asked, reaching his other hand out and stealing a piece of sausage from Peter's plate.

Peter smiled, turning to look up at Tony.

"Pancakes."

A kiss pressed to the top of the boy's head reminded those who knew them just how much Tony loved his son, while it gave the newcomers a chance to watch the two interact in a much more relaxed setting than the evening before. Clearly, Tony was relaxed and in a good mood. Which would, hopefully, set the tone for a chance to allow the two very different groups to get to know each other better – and without posturing that almost certainly was guaranteed when strangers met.

"Sounds good." He let Peter go and looked at the others. "Slept well?"

There were varying nods and greetings.

"Clint's going to teach us how to make pancakes," Drax said.

"Better than having _Tony_ do it," Barton said with another shrug, his expression amused. "We don't want the compound burned down, after all."

The billionaire pretended to be annoyed.

"It was _one_ cooking school," he said. "And _Peter_ helped me burn it down – just for the record."

"You burned down a cooking school?" Gamora asked, curiously. "Is that normal?"

"It is for _these_ guys," came a voice from just behind Tony.

They all turned and saw that Natasha had joined them in the lounge, as well – and she wasn't alone. Stephen and Wong were with her, both men dressed casually for the morning – especially for Strange, who was more comfortable in a sharply tailored suit, but was now wearing slacks and a simple polo shirt. The Cloak of Levitation was on his collar, but as they walked over, it detached itself from its normal bearer and swept over to Peter's shoulders to wrap around the boy, humming a cheerful greeting into his mind – and to Alec, who responded at a different level than what Peter could hear.

Romanoff brought an arm around Peter, too, also giving him a hug before releasing him to nod her greetings to the others. Tony made the introductions for Wong, who hadn't met the newcomers the evening before, but was now watching them with interest. He bowed, slightly, when they had all been named, but he didn't seem too shocked at their appearances. Probably, Peter assumed, correctly, Stephen had given descriptions of everyone when he'd returned to the sanctum the night before – or maybe had been able to show images of them.

"What do _you_ do, Mr. Wong?" Mantis asked, curiously.

Peter noticed that she had only been picking at her pancakes, although the sausages were gone.

"Just Wong," the sorcerer corrected, taking a seat beside Carol, while Tony went to the bar to get some coffee and Natasha sat beside Clint and Stephen took the spot next to her – beside Gamora. "I am a librarian. A keeper and collector of knowledge."

"I am groot?"

"No," the wizard replied, before the others could translate. "Not that big of a collection. As I understand it, _the_ Collector has an immense following, with untold items amassed. The treasure we guard is mostly knowledge."

"You speak Groot?" Rocket asked, surprised.

"He speaks everything," Strange said, also surprised – although he shouldn't be, he knew.

"Not everything," Wong corrected. "But many languages. I've never had a chance to actually hear it, before, though. It's very interesting, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Tony rejoined them, coffee in hand, but before he could take the spot next to Peter, Pepper appeared in the room, also dressed casually. She, too, hugged Peter good morning, and pressed her cheek against his as she sat next to Peter, rolling her eyes when the cloak started playing with her hair. Tony handed her his coffee and went for another cup, returning in only a moment and sitting beside her.

"So what's _your_ deal?" he asked Rocket, curiously. "Is there a planet of talking raccoons out there, somewhere? I've never seen one wearing clothes, either. That can't be normal, is it?"

"_That's_ rich," Strange said. "Coming from a guy who just ordered the Christmas sweater for his _pig_."

"He gets _cold_, Stephen."

"No." The racoon's expression was dark – as dark as the adorable face of a trash panda could be, anyway. "I'm the product of genetic mutation and appalling experimentation. There's only one of me. Anywhere."

"I think you're _amazing_," Pepper told him, sincerely, the mom in her automatically rising to counter the self-depredation in his voice and expression. "The experiments might have been horrific, but the result is remarkable."

If a racoon could blush, Rocket would have been doing it. Quill couldn't hide his amusement at the way she'd managed to render Rocker speechless, and Gamora smiled, pleased at the compliment to her companion. Mantis' expression changed as she felt Rocket's emotions lurch, but Groot was the first to speak.

"I am groot."

"What did he say?" Tony asked.

"He agreed," Gamora said. "And so do I."

There was a silence in the room, but before things dissolved into a whole lot of mushiness and soft, tender, feelings, Peter suddenly shot his hand out and caught Nutmeg, who had taken the moment of silence as an opportunity to launch himself from his cat tree into the middle of the tables.

"Oh, no you don't," the boy said, even as the others around the table reacted in varying manners – with Pepper putting a hand against her chest.

"Peter Parker," she said, sternly, trying to get her heart to stop pounding. "I swear I'm going to put him in a _hamster ball_."

"Sorry." Groot reached for him and Peter handed him over to the tree. "He's probably just excited by all the people."

"Maybe he wants pancakes," Drax suggested.

"No," Tony said. "He's just a jerk, is all. He's a _cat_; it's what they do."

Peter couldn't really object to that, since Nutmeg was now gnawing on one of Groot's branches, ignoring all the fuss that he'd created.


	12. Chapter 12

Breakfast didn't take that long to eat, but the conversation around the table lingered.

No one was in a hurry to start the discussion about the infinity stones, just then, content to hold off a little longer and not spoil the fact that the guardians were getting a hot, filling, meal – which was a little harder to obtain on a spaceship than one might think just from watching sci-fi shows, Quill told them, not at all embarrassed about asking for more pancakes.

He wasn't the only one.

With the newcomers having told their backstories – edited a bit and condensed for time – they were curious about the Avengers. Most notably, _Peter_, of course. But since he was also the youngest of the group – and clearly guarded by the people who were sitting with him, Gamora started with Steve and allowed the conversation to flow around the boy's history, just then.

Carol was telling them more about herself when Peter suddenly excused himself, drawing everyone's attention when he stood up, but smiling apologetically.

"I'll be back in a little while," he assured them.

The cloak disengaged itself and floated over to Strange's shoulders, while Tony got up and walked out of the entrance with him, stopping out of sight in the corridor.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Something's coming up, though… I need to leave for a while."

Stark frowned.

"Something you need help with?"

"If I do, I'll call you."

"I could just go with you."

"And find out it was just someone needing help across the street, or something?" he pointed out. "I'll be fine. If not, I'll call and you and Stephen can come help me, then."

Tony might have argued, but Peter had cleverly added Strange's name, knowing that having the magician close would make it much easier for Tony to get to Peter if whatever the boy was feeling was really serious. Not to mention, it was a Saturday morning, and not the time of day most of the real crazies were out.

"Alright. Have Karen stay in touch with Friday."

"I always do."

Peter hurried down the hall, but he must have called the rock to him, because he hadn't even turned the corner before he was suddenly gone. Tony felt just a hint of worry – which he always did when the boy was out of his sight – and then forced it down and turned back to the lounge.

Pepper wasn't the only one watching him when he returned to the table without Peter, but she was the first to speak up.

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah. Just had some business to handle…" he sat down. "It's fine, Pep. He said he'd be back as soon as he could."

"What's his story?" Rocket asked, curiously. "I mean, don't get me wrong; he seems like a good guy and all, but he's pretty scrawny, and took us down a lot easier than he should have."

"Not to mention his connection with the stones," Gamora added.

"And let's not forget the fact that my girlfriend is dreaming about him," Quill said. She scowled at him and he frowned. "What? You are."

Whether he meant the dreaming part, or the girlfriend part was unclear, but since both were true, she didn't say anything. She just turned her attention to Tony, who hesitated. Not because he didn't trust them; he did. _Mostly_. But because it was Peter. And because he was a little hesitant about telling the boy's story to people who might not really need to know it.

The only problem with that was that they might need to know. It might trigger something with the aliens and the abducted earthling that might help them all know what was coming and they could expect. Which could only be a good thing.

"It's a bit of a story," he finally said, his hand coming to rest on the back of Pepper's chair, just close enough that he could touch her if he needed to. "And it starts before we met."

OOOOOOO

As early fall days went, it was beautiful out.

Peter stood on top of one of the taller buildings in his old neighborhood, looking down on the streets and sidewalks below, his new suit dully trying to reflect back the sunshine that was beating down on him. Luckily, the color of the suit didn't mean that it was sweltering how, and he was comfortable as he tried to understand those tingling sensations that he'd suddenly felt right after breakfast, and where they wanted him to be.

"_That's really interesting_," Alec said – again. He didn't need to ask Peter how he knew where to be; since he was in Peter's head, he knew that Peter didn't know how he knew. He just knew. "_You just get the feelings_…"

"Yeah." It was Alec's first time actually experiencing what Peter felt – even though he could access the boy's memories of the past times. "I just wait and see if I can figure out where I'm needed – or what I need to do."

They were silent, then, although Peter didn't really need it to be quiet to be able to feel when the sudden prompting told him that what was coming was getting close. In the past, he would have had to get even higher, maybe, so he could see everything around him, better, and see whatever it was that didn't seem right.

Now, however, he had Karen – and the tech that came with the amazing new suit that Shuri had created for him. Sensors were all over, catching surveillance cameras as many as four or five blocks away. None of that actually told him what was _going_ to happen – but he could see something obvious, if it was heading his way.

Following his inner urgings and feeling Alec actually forcing himself to be still to allow Peter to concentrate, the boy moved along the rooftops toward the north, until he found himself above what looked like a rooftop garden – similar to the one that he and Ned initially found the nutmeg that had almost killed him. There were a few people out, enjoying the nice weather and the quiet of a Saturday morning, and Peter immediately knew what was going to happen when he saw the toddler that was apparently accompanying a woman that was probably her grandmother as she gathered up the tomatoes that were growing near the safety barrier of the rooftop.

He didn't hesitate, and by the time the child had found the box and had carried it over to stand on so she could look over the wall, he was already moving, swinging in to scoop up the child just as her grandmother yelled for her not to move, startling her and making the child fall off the roof. She screamed, and the grandmother screamed, but Peter was quick, and his aim was good.

He caught her with a webbing burst but then followed up with his own hand, which snagged her wrist while he clung to the side of the building.

"It's okay!" he told the terrified woman. "I've got her."

As she watched, Peter pulled the toddler up and over the safety wall and handed her over to her grandmother. Both of them were crying and the woman released one arm that was around the girl long enough to hug Peter, still crying but now thanking him, repeatedly.

He let her; well aware that she'd taken a fright and that she needed to thank him and steal a little comfort from him – even though she didn't know him. When both were calmer, he found himself released, and she asked what she could do to thank him. He simply shook his head, and waved off the need before he launched himself from the top of the building and shot a web to catch himself and swing to the next building and then another, until he was out of sight.

"_And she'll never know who saved her little girl…"_

"Right."

Peter found a handy roof with an overhanging awning and deactivated the glove covering his left hand. He waited, leaning against the wall for a while, trying to make sure that whatever nudged him was done with him for the day. When he didn't feel anything, he asked Karen to warn Friday, concentrated on the bedroom of his quarters and a moment later found himself there.

A glance at his watch told him that he'd been gone a few hours, and he deactivated the vibranium suit.

"Where are the others?" he asked Karen.

"_In the lounge."_

"Still?"

As if to confirm it, his watch chirped a warning at him, and he heard Tony.

"_You're home?"_

"Yeah."

"_Safe?"_

He smiled, because he knew that Tony would have already asked Friday to verify with Karen that he wasn't hurt. Tony was asking about his mental well-being.

"I'm fine."

"_Come join us when you're ready."_

"I'll be right there."

OOOOOO

"He's alright?" Pepper asked.

Tony nodded.

"Friday says he is – and _he_ says he is."

"You let him go out by himself?" Gamora asked, incredulous.

She and the other guardians had spent the last hours hearing almost everything that Tony could (and would) tell them about Peter's history. He only left out the part when he'd been turned into the toddler – except to mention that the boy had spent a fair amount of time in the astral plane, where he'd connected with all of the stones at the same time.

"Yes."

"But he's just a _baby_," Rocket said, looking shocked.

"A baby that beat you up," Drax reminded him.

Rocket rolled his eyes, ignoring the amusement from everyone but Quill.


	13. Chapter 13

"He goes out alone," Tony agreed. "But only because he knows how to get backup to him, immediately, if he needs it."

"And because he won't _let_ Tony go with him," Clint added. "No superhero wants his daddy hovering nearby when he's trying to save the world."

"Even when it's just _Queens_," Steve said.

Since the only one who had a clue about what Queens _was_ – and even _he_ didn't really know that much, since he'd never been to New York before just then – was Quill, the guardians simply shrugged.

"It still seems dangerous…" Gamora replied. Of course, she was thinking about the fact that someone who might be able to help take down her adoptive father's grandiose plan to destroy half the universe was risking his skin doing something as meaningless – as far as she could tell – as trying to stop muggings, or simple petty thefts. "Should he really be allowed to go out like that?"

Tony frowned, but it was Pepper who answered before he could.

"He has an inordinate sense of responsibility," she replied. "He feels that if he _can_ do something to help someone, then he should do it. Even if it's dangerous."

"Besides," Tony said. "He's prepared. Otherwise I wouldn't let him out."

Gamora didn't look convinced, but Quill nodded his agreement.

"He – "

Before he said whatever it was he was going to say, Peter walked into the lounge, just then. The boy headed toward the tables, but glanced over at Groot, who was sitting on a sofa playing his handheld game, having become bored with the conversation long before then. Nutmeg was sitting on the top of the tree's head, calmly watching everything that was going on around him, his tail idly flicking into the young tree's line of sight only to move before Groot could brush it away.

The cloak left Stephen, immediately, and engulfed Peter in cheerful fabric, scolding him, good-naturedly, for leaving it.

"Anything interesting?" Tony asked, automatically looking his son over for any sign of injury, or anything else that might cause a concern.

"Little kid tried to take a fall off a roof-top garden while her grandmother wasn't looking."

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah. I think the grandmother was more upset, of course."

Since they were all watching him, expectantly, Peter told the story, with no embellishments and a lot of modesty. When he was finished, Drax shook his head.

"This Queen must be close by. You were not gone that long."

"It was a little kid," Peter said, not catching the Queens reference, since he hadn't been there for that part of the discussion. "No royalty, here."

"He meant _Queens_," Natasha said, smiling. She turned to Drax. "It's about an hour's drive south of here – depending on traffic."

Before they could get into a discussion about distances and how Peter managed to cover so much of it so quickly, Stephen spoke up.

"Tony told our guests some of your history, since you weren't here to do it. But he left out a few things that might come into play with everything that's going on with the infinity stones – and with _Thanos_."

"Like what?" Tony asked. "We know what Thanos wants, now," and he gestured toward Gamora. "Obviously, the Mind stone is giving us a bit of help in that by sending her looking for Peter – although I don't know why it couldn't just have passed the information on to us, itself."

"Gamora knows Thanos better than anyone," Wong pointed out. "She would be a great resource for possible tactics that he might have, or what he might do, next."

"Just like Peter's a good source for information if something happens with any of the stones," Stephen added.

Peter hesitated.

"I think he has the power stone – and I think he used it to do something terrible."

It was Quill's turn to frown.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's _angry_. I mean, I had a dream… or something similar… about one of the stones being irritated. I was talking to Tony about it the day Carol arrived…"

He looked at Tony, who nodded.

"I remember that conversation. You didn't say which stone – only that it wasn't the Mind stone or the Time stone." He looked at Danvers. "We didn't really finish that conversation, since something came up. Or some_one_, in this instance."

She smiled at that.

"Yeah. But I was thinking about it a bit," Peter said. "Even this morning – and have been discussing it with Alec. I think it's the _power_ stone."

"The power stone is safe with the Nova Corps," Quill said. "Thanos can't have gotten it. They'd protect it."

"They had some heavy losses when Ronan came to Xander," Rocket reminded them. "They lost a lot of people and ships. If Thanos came looking for it with a big enough army…"

He trailed off, and shrugged.

Gamora looked at Peter.

"Why do you think it's the Power stone?"

It was Peter who shrugged, this time.

"It's not the Mind stone, not the Time stone and definitely not the Soul stone. Thor has the Space stone on Asgard, buried deep enough that I didn't feel it when we were there. That leaves the Reality stone and the Power stone. I'm not sure where they are, but I felt both of them when I was on the astral plane, and the Reality stone feels odd. I'm almost positive it's the Power stone."

"The Collector has the Reality stone," Wong said. "It was a recent acquisition of his."

"And the Space stone is in Odin's vault on Asgard," Stephen confirmed. "Had they been challenged for it, we would have heard from Thor, I'm certain."

"Yeah." Tony nodded his agreement.

"How do we know it isn't the Time stone you felt?" Gamora asked the boy, skeptically.

"Because I am the keeper of the Time stone," Strange replied, before Peter could even hesitate about revealing that. "And I'd know if it were taken."

"You _do_ have an infinity stone on this planet?" Gamora asked, looking alarmed. "Your world is in grave danger, then."

"We have two of them," Tony told her. "The Mind stone is here, too."

"How…" she looked stunned, now.

"So we know it isn't those two," Quill said. He looked at Gamora. "We need to go to Xander."

"Why?" Carol asked.

"To check on the stone. If Thanos has it, then we need to get it away from him."

"You can't take on Thanos," Gamora said. "He's powerful, Peter," she told him. "And if he has a stone, then he's even moreso."

"I'll go," Carol told them. She looked at Tony, confidently. "I can be there and back in a couple of days, at the most – less, if I don't find any trouble on Xander."

"You can't go by yourself," Steve objected. "It's not safe."

"I can handle my own," Danvers assured him. "They won't even know I'm there."

"_She's pretty remarkable_," Alec said. "_And just cocky enough to be interesting, too."_

"_She has the abilities to back it up,"_ Peter reminded him, more interested in the way Steve had objected to Carol going anywhere alone.

Maybe there _was_ a little Captain America, Captain Danvers romance going on? Speculation had been rampant throughout the compound, really – even though no one would come right out and ask either of them. Especially since it wasn't anyone's business but Steve and Carol's.

Tony hesitated.

"Are you _sure_?"

"_We_ can go," Quill said. "It'll only take us a few days to get there, and we can see for ourselves just what-"

"A _day_," Danvers repeated. "I can be there in a day. Do you really want to waste extra time where it's not needed?"

"No," a voice said, speaking up from behind Peter – who had his back to the entrance to the lounge. They all turned and saw Fury had been walking up to join them. The SHIELD director was dressed in his normal black leather, his expression serious. "We need the intel and the sooner, the better. Danvers will go. And you will be our guests, here, until she gets back."

"Who died and made you the boss?" Quill asked, incredulously.

"No one needed to die for me to be the boss," Nick replied, straight-faced. "Especially when it involves common sense. There is no reason we should wait six days – three there and three back – when we can have the information we need in _two_."

"But…"

He ignored Gamora and turned to Danvers.

"There and back. You find out what you need to know – and you do _not_ engage anyone. Understand?"

She smirked, clearly wanting to ask him who died and made him boss, but holding her tongue. Instead, she nodded.

"Fine." Carol stood up. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

She glanced at Steve, and then left the lounge.


	14. Chapter 14

"What are we supposed to do until she gets back?" Drax asked, looking just a little rebellious. "Sit around and do nothing?"

It was clear that he wasn't impressed with that idea.

Nick was the one who had allowed Carol to go and told _them_ not to, so he was the one who answered.

"You can do whatever you want," he replied, calmly. "But you don't wander off the compound grounds and into the general population of the planet. My people don't have aliens among them that they're aware of, and you would cause a panic among them."

"There's plenty to do here," Tony assured them. "If you've been stuck on a space ship for any length of time, the fresh air and a chance to move around will probably do you some good."

"_Are they going to cause trouble?"_ Peter asked Alec, knowing that the ancient sorcerer could read the thoughts of the guardians.

Which was how he knew that they referred to themselves as the guardians of the galaxy in the first place.

"_Not on purpose."_ The voice in his mind was a little amused. _"It seems they're almost as good at finding trouble as you are. At least Peter is."_

The boy would have rolled his eyes, but they wouldn't have understood the look, so he didn't.

"So we're _prisoners_?" Drax asked.

"Of course not," Mantis said. "These people don't mean us any harm."

"She's _right_," Tony agreed, not sure why she sounded so sure of that – despite it being true. "You're not prisoners, here. While we wait to hear what Carol finds out, we can spend time getting to know each other better – and learning more about what Thanos has that he might try bringing against us."

"Countless armies," Gamora said, darkly. "They overrun the populations, slaughtering at random."

"They're a plague," Quill added. "We saw a sampling of it when Ronan attacked Xander."

"Ground troops _and_ air?" Natasha asked.

"_Everything_," Gamora replied. "They use their numbers to overwhelm and cause panic, and then they swarm."

Tony wasn't the only one who looked troubled by that.

"I think we've seen a sample of it, too," he said. The Avengers around the table all knew he was thinking about the battle of New York. "I don't suppose you have any video or any kind of recordings of some kind so we can _see_ them?"

"We recorded it," Rocket said. "But it ain't pretty."

"They've come here, before?" Gamora asked.

"_Someone_ did," Fury said.

"Which stone were they after?"

"They _weren't_," Strange said. "Turns out, they had one with them – and apparently didn't even realize it." He looked at Tony. "Think we should check in with Thor? To make sure the Asgardians are alright?"

Stark hesitated and looked at Peter.

"Anything else coming from any of the stones?"

The boy shook his head.

"I don't think so. Nothing serious, like what I was feeling, before, anyway."

"Do you feel them all the time?" Gamora asked, curiously.

"No. Most of the time I don't feel them, at all. Except for the Mind stone, they pretty much ignore me."

"And the Mind stone…?"

He shrugged.

"It's always there. Usually, it just helps me with my homework, if I'm stuck on something."

"You _interact_ with it?"

"Sometimes." Peter hesitated, debating whether or not they should know that it would get into someone's head and share whatever it thought he might need to see, or know, and hedged when Alec suggested they would be uncomfortable knowing that. "It likes me."

"It's a _rock_," Rocket said. "How does it like _anyone_?"

Peter shrugged.

"I don't know. It just does."

"Does it hurt?"

"No. Not anymore."

"It used to?"

"Yeah. But not on purpose."

"Let's take a break," Tony suggested. He didn't like the idea of Peter's connection to the stones causing trouble for the boy when they were just beginning to get him stabilized and leveled out, finally. Not to mention he didn't like the newcomers interrogating Peter. He trusted them, but it was _Peter_, after all. Which meant that he only trusted them to a certain point, so far. "I've been sitting so long that my rear's numb. How about a tour of the compound? You guys can see what we do around here."

Sort of.

Gamora nodded, looking at her companions, who shrugged or nodded their own agreement.

"I could use some exercise," she said.

Stark's rear wasn't the only numb one, really.

Tony nodded, standing up and Rocket and the others did, too. The racoon looked at Groot.

"Hey, Groot. C'mon, let's go look around."

The tree looked up from his game.

"I am groot."

"No, they're going to show us around. Put the game away for a while."

"I am groot?"

Peter smiled.

"Yes, he can come."

The tree sighed – a sound of long-suffering as if he wanted nothing more than to just sit on the couch and play video games all day – and lurched to his feet, carefully reaching up to steady Nutmeg, who was suddenly poofy, again, at the odd motion.

Tony looked at Strange and Wong.

"Coming?"

"I don't need a tour of the compound, Tony," Stephen pointed out, making Natasha smile.

"I'm going to return to the sanctum," Wong said. "If an army attempts to invade our planet, we will want to have proper warning – and the best spells at hand."

"Are you going to mention this to the other sanctums?" Natasha asked, curiously.

Wong looked at Strange, who nodded.

"We can't take Thanos and his army alone," the sorcerer told them. "Even with all of the sanctums combined, we might not be able to keep them off the planet. I'm curious to see what our new friends have to show us."

"We'll wait to talk to them until we have an idea of what we would – potentially – be dealing with, though," Wong added. "No sense in raising an alarm, just yet."

"I'll come, though," Steve said.

Clint stood, as well – not surprisingly – and the group left the lounge, following Tony and Pepper, who were willing to play tour guide. Steve and Clint walked with them, with Clint walking beside Mantis, chatting her up while Steve walked beside Drax, staying close to him as if aware that he was the one that was – potentially – the most erratic and bore having someone close by.

Just in case.

Quill and Gamora were in the front of the small queue, looking around with interest as Tony started giving them a little history of what the Avengers were all about.

Trailing them all were Peter and Groot, holding their own conversation with Nutmeg riding on Groot's head and the Cloak of Levitation hitching a ride on Peter's shoulders.

OOOOOO

Natasha and Fury watched them go, and then both of them turned to the sorcerers.

"Should we be worried about the time stone?" Fury asked, pointedly.

"No. The sanctum could be leveled, and no one could enter the room it's in. Including _Peter_," Stephen told them. "Two people can get in there – and only five people even know how to find the room, in the first place."

"You. Wong. Peter…" Nick listed, pausing because he didn't know who the other two were."

"Me and Tony," Natasha finished. "And _we_ can't get into the room, either."

"I won't say the sanctum is unassailable," Stephen said. "But it'd be a large bite to chew, if anyone tried."

"Would it be safer to move it someplace a little less… populated?" Fury asked, pointedly. "I don't like the idea of an army going through New York trying to get to the sanctum."

"Wakanda, for instance?" Strange asked.

"That was my first thought. They have that shield – it would probably keep anyone out."

"We'll wait and see what we find out from Carol," Stephen said. "And what their videos show. I'd prefer to keep it where I know it's safe – and not exposed if someone managed to get through the shielding around Wakanda. Technology can be subverted a bit easier than _magic_."

Romanoff smiled, despite the seriousness of their conversation.

"Don't let Tony hear you say that…"

OOOOOOOOO

"Oh, my _Lord_…"

Peter smiled, watching as Peter Quill walked over to his Pontiac, his eyes lit up with admiration as he walked around the car, examining it, closely.

"It's a car, right?" Rocket asked. "A land vehicle…"

"No," Quill corrected him, and Tony was amused that out of all the tech that they had to show them in the last hour or so, the most interesting thing Quill had found was in the garage. "This is a masterpiece. Look at the chrome and the ragtop…"

"It is very shiny," Mantis said, confused by the sudden increase in interest that Quill was feeling. "All of the vehicles are…"

"Yeah," Quill ignored all the foreign cars parked in the garage, and even Natasha's sporty Corvette. "But this thing is a classic – even for me." He looked at Tony. "Yours?"

"No." Tony allowed his amusement to show. "That one belongs to Peter."

"No _way_…" Quill looked at the boy, eyes wide. "Can I drive it?"

"No." The refusal was immediate – and automatic. Peter wasn't about to trust his father's car to someone he didn't know. No matter how impressed he was with the car. Besides, Peter saw the dents on the spaceship. Quill was probably a terrible drive. "I'll take you for a ride, though – if you want."

Quill looked at Tony, who hesitated. Not because _Quill_ wanted to go – and it was clear that he wanted to – but because he didn't want to have aliens driving around the countryside in Peter's convertible. What if they got pulled over? How would they explain the appearances of the others?

"I think that's fine," Pepper said, before Tony could make up his mind. She looked at her son. "If anyone asks, you're going to a sci-fi convention, or something."

"And you don't stop anywhere…" Tony added.

Quill grinned, looking at Peter, expectantly.

"Now?"

Peter shrugged. He looked at Groot.

"You want to come?"

He didn't know what the branches that made Groot might do to his leather seats, but they could probably find something to protect the upholstery.

"I am groot." He reached up and slid a wooden finger along Nutmeg's head, making the kitten purr. "I am groot."

"Okay."

"He's not going?" Tony asked.

"He doesn't want to," Rocket confirmed.

"Neither do I," Gamora agreed. She gave Peter an apologetic look. "I'd rather continue the tour."

"I'll go," Rocket said.

Peter looked at Drax and Mantis, but neither looked all that impressed with the idea and both shook their head. He nodded, looking at Quill.

"Let's go."

"Yes. Shotgun!"

The racoon looked confused, watching as Quill opened the passenger door and got into the car, excitement practically radiating from him.

"We're taking weapons?"

The boy grinned.

"It's a phrase. Come on."

"Drive safe," Tony told him as Peter opened the driver's door, gesturing for Rocket to precede him into the car, and the racoon got into the back. "We'll be in the lounge, most likely, when you get back."

"Alright."

"


	15. Chapter 15

The Cloak of Levitation was clearly not enthralled with the idea of going for a drive. As Peter got behind the wheel, there was a grumbling in his head, answered by amusement coming from Alec, and the cloak detached itself from Peter's shoulders and made its way to Tony's shoulder, instead, surprising the billionaire.

"It isn't going?" he asked his son.

"Doesn't seem interested," Peter replied with a shrug. He looked at Quill. "Do you want the top down?" he asked, fairly certain what the answer would be.

"Yeah. Of _course_."

Tony shook his head, moving it a little when the cloak started messing with his ear. He wondered if it would listen to him if he told it to go find Stephen, but didn't bother to find out. He looked at the others, ignoring the way Pepper was smiling her amusement at the treatment he was receiving from the ancient relic.

"Let's go show you guys the guest quarters. If you're interested, we can put you up in actual rooms, if you don't want to stay on your ship."

He led the way out of the garage, not bothering to lecture the boy about staying safe.

OOOOOO

"_Hello, Peter."_

Quill looked around, confused, at the feminine voice that greeted them when the boy turned the engine over.

"Hey, Karen."

He waited for the top to lock into place behind them.

"Your car talks to you?" Rocket asked, surprised.

"Yeah. That's _Karen_. She's-"

"Like in _Knight Rider_?" Quill asked. "KITT?"

"_I'm so much better than KITT,"_ Karen replied, before Peter could say anything.

The boy smiled at the brag – even though it was definitely true.

"Karen's my AI," he explained. "She's in my quarters, in my car and in my suit."

"So... like your wife?"

Peter shrugged.

"_More like a nanny_," Karen replied, making Peter's smile widen.

"She keeps me connected with Tony," Peter told them. "Through _his_ AI, Friday. It makes him feel better about letting me drive places alone, or going out by myself."

"She can call for help?"

"Yeah."

"Does your car have missiles?" Quill asked, interested. "Or shoot _bullets_?"

"No." he looked back at Rocket, who was sitting in the middle of the back seat. "Buckle up, okay? It's the rule in my car. And if we get pulled over, you're going to have to pretend to just be a raccoon dressed up. Sorry…"

The raccoon scowled, but he did as he was told and looked around for the seatbelts, which were fairly universal, and didn't need to be explained. Quill put his on, as well, before Peter needed to tell him, and he whooped when the boy pulled the car out of the garage.

OOOOOOO

"This place is pretty nice," Drax said, as they finished the tour – having seen the majority of the compound. The pool, the gyms – including a quick chance to see Ironpig, who had the run of the compound but tended to hang out in the gym for the most part, because that was where there was always someone willing to pet him when Tony was too busy to do it himself. "You live here?"

"We do. Some of the Avengers do – while others only work here or come here during the week but go home to their families on the weekend."

"_Peter_ lives here, permanently?" Gamora asked.

"He does."

"Is that _wise_?" she asked, clearly worried. "If Thanos finds out about his connection to the stones, he'll almost certainly come looking for him – either to take him, or to kill him."

"Then he'll run into a world of hurt," Tony told her. "This place is well defended, now, but it's about to undergo a complete upgrade."

Steve nodded his agreement to that, but Pepper just looked worried.

"Thanos commands a great army," Drax said.

"Yeah. I _know_." He shrugged. "I'll make sure Peter's safe," he told Gamora – _and_ Pepper. "You can be sure of it."

They ended the tour back where they started it; in the lounge. Peter hadn't returned, yet, but they hadn't been gone so long that Tony was concerned – and Karen hadn't reported any problems. Stephen was seated at the table with Natasha. Wong and Fury were both gone.

"Where's Peter?" Natasha asked, noticing the boy's absence, immediately.

Especially when the Cloak of levitation came swooping to Stephen's shoulder, practically launching itself from Tony's to reattach itself to the magician's collar.

"He took Quill and Rocket for a drive in his car…" Tony answered. "They shouldn't be too much longer."

"Was that entirely _wise_?" Strange asked, making Tony wonder if _he_ was worried about Thanos, too. He realized that the sorcerer had a different concern, though, when he spoke, again. "A talking raccoon might be difficult to explain if they get into any trouble and the police are involved."

"They'll be fine," Tony said. He looked at Pepper. "Coffee?"

"Please."

She sat down, along with Mantis, Drax and Gamora, but Groot went back to the sofa that he'd been sitting on, earlier, reclaimed his hand-held video game and started playing, with Nutmeg once more swinging his tail from his lofty vantage spot on Groot's head.

"Who needs a cat tree when you have a Groot?" Natasha asked, amused.

Gamora looked over, following Romanoff's gaze, and her expression softened, telling the Earthlings that she definitely had a soft spot for the young tree.

"Maybe when this is all over, we'll get him a pet."

Tony had returned just in time to hear the comment and he handed Pepper her coffee.

"I don't know that a cat is the best choice, though. They're jerks."

OOOOOOO

"Where are we going to go?" Peter asked the boy, putting his hand out of the side of the car and letting the wind hit his hand at different angles, remembering doing the same thing when he was much, much, younger and riding with his mother in their car.

"There isn't much traffic," Peter replied, speaking up so that Rocker could hear him, as well. "We can just drive around for a while, if you want."

He knew the back roads pretty well, after all, and he drove the weekends, often. And he loved driving the car, really – especially with an appreciative companion."

"_He's really enjoying himself,"_ Alec confirmed. "_Being in space like he has been for the most part, he's missed out on a lot of the things that he enjoyed when he was a child."_

"That's fine," Quill agreed, grinning over at the boy. "Wherever you want to go."

"_Play some eighties music,"_ Alec suggested. _"Make it as good as you can for him."_

Peter smiled, more than willing to do just that.

"Karen? Make an eighties top billboard playlist and give us some road trip music, will you?"

"Sure."

A moment later the very impressive (and upgraded) sound system in the car was playing old rock songs that Peter knew, but only from movie soundtracks. _Quill_, on the other hand, knew them from a much more intimate source, and he grinned at the boy, slapping his shoulder, happily.

"I love you, Peter Parker."

The boy smirked, pleased with himself for making the man so happy.

"I'm _taken_," he replied, turning his attention back to the road.

Sort of.

OOOOOOO

"Peter's back."

The others looked at Tony, who was seated at the table, playing cards with Pepper, Stephen and Natasha. Mantis was watching the game with interest, and quietly learning how to play – something that she would pass on to the others during the many quiet nights on the ship in the future. Drax and Gamora were playing darts with Steve and Clint, and Drax, especially, seemed to be enjoying the fact that he was throwing pointy objects at a target and getting awarded points for doing so.

Groot was still on the sofa, video game in hand and kitten on his head.

"They're alright?" Gamora asked, almost automatically.

"We didn't hear otherwise," Tony assured her. "He has an AI interface in his car, so I'd have been alerted if they needed anything."

Pepper looked at her watch.

"I didn't expect them to be gone so long…" she told him. "I wonder where they went…"

A noise and then a motion at the entrance drew her attention, and she rolled her eyes when the answer walked into the lounge.

Peter was munching on a corndog (which told her that they'd stopped at the gas station). Completely understandable, she supposed – even though she was sure Tony had told them they weren't supposed to make any stops. That wasn't so unusual; the boy enjoyed the corndogs at the gas station – she was just surprised that it had made it as far as the garage. Then she smiled as Peter Quill and Rocket walked into the room behind Peter. Both of them had corndogs, as well, shoved into their mouths, with the sticks poking out like a wooden cigarette, or something. The reason for that was obvious since both of them had their arms filled with an assortment of junk food packages; loaded down with everything from bags of chips to candy bars and Quill even had a 44oz fountain drink sitting precariously in the crook of his elbow.

They were all three smiling, but Quill looked like he'd had the time of his life, and even Pepper couldn't bring herself to scold them.

"Let me guess…" Tony said, drawing out the words. "You found the gas station…?"

Peter smiled.

"Yeah."


	16. Chapter 16

"What are you _eating_?" Gamora asked, walking over to join them, with Drax following.

Quill set the drink in his arm down on the table that wasn't being used for the card game, and then cascaded the rest of the snacks, which tumbled onto the table. He pulled the stick from his mouth, but there wasn't anything on the end.

"It _was_ a corndog."

"What's a corndog?" Drax asked.

"Hot dog on a stick," the younger Peter told him, handing him one from a bag that he had. "Try it?"

The bulky man looked at it, suspiciously.

"Dog?"

"Not a _real_ dog," Peter assured him. "It's beef."

_Maybe_.

"Covered with cornbread," Tony added, helpfully. "Then deep fried."

Groot walked over, as well.

"I am groot?"

"Yeah we brought you one," Rocket told him. "They might not be as warm as they started – but if the kid didn't have some crazy rule about no one eating in his car, there probably wouldn't be any left."

He glanced at Quill, who gave him an innocent look.

"Peter had one, too."

"Yeah. _One_. And I had one, and you've had four."

"It's a _corndog_, Rocket. You can't eat just one. They come in twos for a reason."

"They don't _really_ come in twos," Peter pointed out, handing Groot a corndog from the bag. "It's just a gimmick to sell two instead of one."

"I am groot."

"Don't eat the stick," Rocket told him, reaching for another one when Peter offered it to him. "But I could get used to the taste, really. They're almost addictive."

Peter offered one to Gamora, but she shook her head.

"I'm not eating that."

"And you're not eating all of that junk food and spoiling your dinner," Pepper told the boy, amused.

"I'm not eating _any_ of it," Peter replied, rolling his eyes and setting the corndog bag on the table. "None of it's for me." He looked pointedly at Quill, who shrugged.

"I may have gone a little overboard," he admitted. "It's been a long time since I've seen a Ding Dong."

"I am groot."

Quill made an annoyed face.

"Not _that_ kind of ding dong, smart ass. It's chocolate cake, and some kind of cream filling. Better than a Twinkie – and _that's_ saying something."

"I am groot?"

"No clue," Rocket told him.

"Did anyone see you?" Tony asked as Peter sat down at the table beside Mantis.

"Just the people at the gas station," the boy assured him. "And we were only there for a few minutes. Rocket stayed in the car."

Of course.

Quill beamed as he looked over at Gamora, who was pleased to see how happy he looked, even though she was uncertain about the pile of treats that he had in front of him.

"You had a good time?"

"I forgot how much fun a road trip could be," he said. "_Space_ trip isn't quite the same thing."

"The music was the same," Rocket corrected.

"I am groot…" the tree said, taking another corndog from the bag and heading back to the sofa to return to his video game.

"Want to play?" Tony asked Peter. "We can switch to something else."

They knew he wouldn't want to play cards, after all.

The boy shook his head.

"I'm going to go to my room and call MJ."

"Thanks for the ride, Peter," Quill told him, cheerfully.

That made the boy smile.

"You're welcome."

"And the _food_. I'll pay you back. Seriously."

Obviously, Quill didn't have any money, so Peter must have paid for it.

"It's no problem. _Really_. I needed to get gas, anyway."

"I'll call you for dinner," Tony told him.

"Thanks."

He left and Quill turned to the others, losing a little of his cheerfulness.

"We haven't heard from Danvers, yet?"

"Not, yet," Tony confirmed.

"It's a little soon, though," Gamora pointed out.

"I don't expect to hear from her," Tony told them, looking up from the cards in his hands. "We're not set up for subspace communications, so she'll have to return here to let us know what she finds out. If anything."

"We're not worried that she'll run into any trouble?"

It was Steve who shook his head.

"No. She has a few tricks up her sleeves."

"More like at the end of them," Clint added. "Let's finish our game…"

He walked over to the dart board, followed by Drax, Gamora and Steve. A moment later Rocket walked over, as well, munching on another corndog. Quill hesitated, but eventually stayed at the table – and the mountain of snacks.

He could play darts any time, after all.

OOOOOOO

The man was immobilized, although what held him was uncertain, since there wasn't anything obvious holding him in place against the crumbling wall of the massive chamber. His intelligent face looked concerned, but not really afraid, as he looked at the being that walked toward him, his face impassive, his eyes everywhere, looking around.

"You have something that I want, Taneleer Tivan…"

"Oh… yeah?" Affecting nonchalance that he didn't really feel, the man tried to shrug. "I have so _many_ things," he said.

"The infinity stone."

"I _had_ an infinity stone," Tivan said, and now his expression was pained. "But it was taken from here. Only _days_, ago."

"Where?"

"I don't know. Word came through my contacts that someone…" he paused, looking at the golden gauntlet that was on the being's hand. Huge, and decorated with a single, purple stone on the back of it that glowed, dully. "That _someone_ had overcome the Nova Corps, and that the stone they possessed was taken. Someone took mine – probably thinking that they were protecting it by concealing it."

The being scowled.

"Who did this?"

"I'm not sure. So many of my people have scattered in recent weeks. Many of my precious items vanished with them. I can't keep track of it all – or them all."

"You're lying to me."

"I wouldn't dare, Lord Thanos. I'll find it, eventually, and you can be sure that I'll call you and let you know when that happens."

The titan clenched his fist, the gauntlet in his hand gleaming in the light of the collection.

"And what stops me from destroying this place – _and_ you?"

"_Nothing_ can stop you," Tivan said, placatingly. "But… perhaps something in my collection will be of enough interest to you that you might be willing to spare me… and my pretties. Something that might help you discover the whereabouts of not just _my_ missing bauble, but the others, as well…"

The small, merciless, eyes narrowed.

"I'm listening."

"There's a scroll," the Collector said, looking toward a far corner of the room. "Beyond ancient. Tucked away."

"How will a piece of paper lead me to what I seek?"

"It _won't_," he said. "But it might lead you to someone who can find them all for you. And control them for you."

"An ancient scroll? Anyone mentioned in it would have been dead for years."

"Not in this scroll." The Collector's smile was out of place, considering the danger that he was clearly in. "It's a prophesy."

The titan snorted in disbelief.

"Prophesies are undependable. Written by charlatans."

"This is no ordinary prophesy," Tivan said. "If it were, would it be in _my_ collection?"

Those evil eyes narrowed, once more, and he looked at one of his underlings.

"Release him." The invisible bonds vanished, and the Collector dropped to the floor with a grunt. "Find me this scroll," Thanos told him. "Then I'll decide if the information is worth sparing your life."

"And my collection."

"You're in no position to make demands."

"Someone has to read the scroll to you."

"Bring me the scroll."


	17. Chapter 17

The card game was winding down when Wong made a sudden, surprise, appearance in the lounge. He didn't materialize there; he wasn't as common a visitor to the compound, but he'd been there often enough to know that the small conference room near at hand was usually a good place for a sorcerer to pop into and avoid being in the way – or sharing previously occupied space with someone.

Especially on a weekend.

His entrance into the lounge wasn't missed by anyone – except Groot, who had his eyes only on the video game he was playing – and Strange frowned, since he could read the other man's expression far better than the others. Wong was definitely looking concerned as he walked across the room to the table where Stephen, Tony, Pepper and Natasha were seated playing cards, while Peter Quill was pretty much sprawled in a junk food induced coma at the next table over.

The others were still playing darts; Drax, in particular, was enjoying the game, not recognizing it for the game that it was, since it seemed to be a competition to him more than anything. They looked over at Wong's arrival, but didn't stop their game.

"Problem?" Strange asked.

"_Information_…" the other man said, shrugging. He looked at Tony and Pepper. "Information that almost certainly pertains to Peter – but _might_ not, and I don't want to worry you, if there is no cause."

"What is it?" Pepper asked, feeling a flare of worry.

Of course, that wasn't anything new, really. The more _recent_ concerns were so much more frightening than worrying about her boy sleepwalking, and if he was safe driving to a different city by himself.

Wong sat down, and pulled a scrap of paper out of his voluminous pocket, handing it to Stephen, who looked at it.

"A scroll?"

"The London sanctum keepers just delivered it to us," Wong told him – and the others. "I asked them to look for any references to the infinity stones back when we first learned of the Mind stone's connection with Peter. They came up with that, recently, and thought we might be interested."

Tony looked over at the scroll, but he couldn't read the script on the paper, and it looked insanely old.

"Can you read it, Stephen?" he asked.

"Yes." He was reading it and they knew him well enough to know that it was unsettling. He sighed, and looked over at Pepper, first, before looking at Tony. "It's old. And at that, it's a copy of a copy of countless copies of it."

"What is it?" Natasha asked.

"A prophesy. At least, that's the word I have to use."

He looked at Wong who nodded his agreement.

"That's what it is. No question."

The quiet conversation drew the others to the tables, as well, and had pulled Quill's attention as well as Mantis, who had been watching the card game.

"What's going on?" Steve asked.

Tony looked at him, and then back to the sorcerers.

"Stephen?"

"My translation would be _'The child is going to come. The stones will know him, and he knows them. Guard him well, because the Titan will come for him and he alone can hold the stones and save the universe."_

The room was silent.

"My take is a little different," Wong said into the silence. "I would say it says that _only he will wield the stones to protect the universe."_

"_You_ think it means _Peter_?" Tony clarified, looking at the two magicians, and then at the paper Stephen was holding.

"I can _tell_ it does," Stephen told his friend. "There's a postscript – and it's directed specifically at you."

"Me?"

"Yes." He looked at the paper. _"The battle will come to your home. Don't hide your son, man of iron, or the universe will fall."_

Tony stared at him.

"_And…?"_

"That's all it says," Wong told him. "If there's more, then it wasn't passed on through the copies over the millennium – but scribes are careful by nature and they copy these kind of things with care, even if they can't read it. There's no doubt, though, that you're the man of iron in this, because they specifically mention that the wielder of the stones is _your_ son, Tony."

Natasha scowled.

"There could be some other kid out there somewhere that can feel the stones like Peter does. Maybe someone whose dad is actually made out of metal because that's how they all are. You said it's old. Maybe this thing already happened."

"Or maybe it's a load of horse crap," Peter Quill said, adding his own two cents worth into the conversation. "There are all kinds of prophecies out there – and a lot of them here on earth, even. None come true. It's just religion and people trying to get you to do what they want you to do –"

"My father is called the Mad _Titan_," Gamora said, interrupting him. Her expression was bleak and scared. Which told all of them that she was already of the belief that the paper was real. "He's going to come here…"

Tony looked at her, and now they could tell that he was sure of it, too. His expression, however, wasn't fear – well, yes, maybe a little fear, for Peter and for the others – but his eyes suddenly hardened, and his jaw clenched. He stood up, because he was suddenly far too restless to sit.

"Fine. He's coming. And he's bringing an army. Then we'd _better_ be ready for him."

"But-"

He looked at Pepper.

"We've got this, honey. We've even battled alien armies, before." He looked at Stephen. "No timeline, though? _The Titan will come to your home September 29__th_?"

That brought a tight smile to the sorcerer's expression.

"No."

"How would someone know about Tony being Ironman a billion years ago?" Steve asked. "If this thing is so old, then…" he shrugged.

"It is pretty specific," Wong agreed. "Probably to make sure the warning wasn't ignored once it was seen. If you're not a believer in gods handing out visions to their followers –"

"I'm _not_," Drax replied.

"Then I'll posit that Stephen isn't the only one to ever wield the Time stone. A look into the future, maybe? A warning to those still to come?"

"How doesn't matter," Tony said, firmly. "We'll have to wait to hear what Carol found out. If he has _one_ stone, it'll give him a taste for the others – and I'll want to know what that particular stone's specialty is, too. So we know what he might do with it. If coming to my home means that he's coming _here_, then we're outgunned and we're going to need to make some changes to the security protocols that we have in place. Which I intended to do, already."

"Like what?" Pepper asked.

"First, we're going to get a shield."

"Like Wakanda's?"

"Right. And we need to talk to Vision, because I want him and Wanda to know what's going on so they can decide whether they stay in Europe, or if they come here, where they'll have back up."

"Or where they can back us up," Natasha added. "That's a lot of firepower, right there."

"True."

"Do we tell Peter?" Pepper asked, looking up at him, her face still pale, but her expression resolute, taking courage from him.

"You don't _have_ to," a voice said from the entrance, making them all look over at the boy, who was standing at the doorway. "I know."

Tony gestured to him.

"Come here, son."

Peter walked over to them, and they could all tell that his face was pale (it always was, of course, but more, now) but _his_ expression wasn't fearful, either.

"How did you find out?" Pepper asked.

"I was in my room talking to MJ and saw him."

"In your _room_?" Mantis asked, frightened.

That actually made Peter smile, and he shook his head.

"No, if he'd been in my room, you all would have heard me scream like a little girl." His expression clouded. "It was probably him, though, I've dreamed of him a few times, now, and this time he was looking at a piece of paper, and talking about finding the child who can hold the stones."

"Does he know where you are?" Gamora asked.

"I don't think so." He frowned. "I'm not a _child_, though. That paper can shove off."

Which made a few of them smile – and maybe he'd intended that all along, to keep them from all panicking.

"Probably it's set that way so you aren't mistaken for an adult; to make a distinction," Strange pointed out.

"Not to mention," Wong added. "It does give us a _bit_ of a timeline." The others looked at him, confused, and he shrugged. "Peter's not going to be a boy – or a child – much longer. Since it says child, we know it's probably coming before his eighteenth birthday."

"That's still a year and a half off," Pepper said. "How do we know it won't be a year from now?"

"We don't, I suppose," Tony conceded.

"If he finds out where I am, then he's going to come," Peter told them – and Gamora nodded her agreement. "I could feel it and Alec agrees."

The room was silent, all of them looking at him – and even Groot had looked up from his game; his expression concerned.

"Then we'd better get started," Tony said, finally. "Because the new shield is going to take some time to configure."

"That's where we start?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. It's where _Peter and I_ start. You need to make a couple of calls, Steve, because if he comes to the compound looking for Peter, we need to make sure his army _stays_ at the compound. An hour south of here are millions of innocent people who don't want anything to do with aliens and infinity stones, and we need a line of defense between them and here – and that's going to have to be the military – because SHIELD can't do it, alone."

"We're not going to have a repeat of the casualties in New York when Loki came," Steve agreed. "I'll talk to Nick, first, and see what he wants to tell them."

The atmosphere in the room was resolute, now – at least with the Avengers. The guardians didn't look quite so confident. But they didn't say anything; even Drax being aware that the fight was something they would assist with, but they didn't know anything about the area, and the people, and they couldn't make any recommendations when they didn't know what was available.

"I'll advise the other sanctums," Stephen said. "A battle lost here would quickly spread the Thanos' army to other parts of the globe, and we'll be better off containing him and making our stand, here. The others will agree."

"We're going to want to talk to Thor, too," Clint added. "He's got a stone on Asgard. He needs to know what's happening so they don't get blindsided."

"Yeah." Tony looked at Wong and Stephen. "A portal to Asgard? If you're willing?"

He wasn't ready to trust the Bifrost too close to Peter, just yet.

"Who's Thor?" Gamora asked, curiously.

"An ally," Tony said. "I'll make sure you have a chance to meet him." He looked at the others, and his hand came to rest on Pepper's. "We can do this. We've done it, before – and with a lot less resources and allies."

Natasha nodded, and the others followed suit. They'd still need to hear what Danvers found out, but they could get started.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Sorry about the wait! Not only did I have appointments today, and a head cold, but I'm trying to be a little more careful with this story because it really is going to be epic (for me) and I don't want to screw it up, so I've been thinking through things as I write, trying to make sure of what and where I'm going, next, with it.

OOOOOOO

"What can we do to help?" Quill asked Tony as the group started to break up.

"For the moment? You can tell Natasha what that stone does."

Gamora and Quill both nodded their agreement to that – as did Romanoff, who was talking to Stephen. The sorcerers were going to leave, heading back to the sanctum to start apprising the other magicians in the other sanctums what was going on. Steve was already heading for the door with Clint, and Tony was proud of his people, because they weren't hiding from the threat that they were suddenly facing.

"I pulled the footage we recorded on Xandar," Rocket told him. "It's the same stone, but with someone else using it. That shouldn't make a difference, though, right?" he asked Gamora.

"I hope not," she said, sincerely. "The damage inflicted by Ronan was terrifying – and he isn't as powerful as my father."

"It shouldn't make a difference who wields the stone," Wong told them. "The power doesn't come from the person holding it – only the ability to focus that power and direct it."

Tony stood up, looking at the others.

"I'm going to go make a few calls." They all assumed that the first one was going to be to T'Challa. "Dinner in a few hours."

"I'm going to go get in touch with Nick," Steve said, while Clint moved to sit closer to Natasha, clearly wanting to see what the stone that Thanos might already possess was capable of doing. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Tony nodded, looking at Peter, his hand still holding Pepper's.

"Come keep us company…"

The boy nodded and the three of them left the lounge, with _Pepper_ in the middle, since Tony hadn't released her hand, knowing that she was the one who needed bolstering, just then. She put an arm around Peter, though, as they walked.

"We're not really going to do what that piece of paper says, are we?" she asked Tony as they headed down the corridor toward their quarters.

"Which part?"

"We're going to hide Peter, right?"

"No," Peter answered, before Tony could say anything. "I can't hide from this, mom."

"This Thanos is _crazy_," Pepper said. "He wants to kill half the universe, if what they're saying is really true." And it was obvious that she believed it. "You're in danger."

"_Everyone_ is," Peter told her. "Not just me. You, and Shuri, Ned, MJ… everyone. You can't expect me to hide under my bed or something and hope that the rest of the world stops him."

"That's _exactly_ what I expe-"

"Pep," Tony interrupted. "This isn't a conversation for the hallway."

Since they were getting some looks as they went by the few people in the corridors, she scowled and closed her mouth, agreeing, but the silence was tense, and the walk was uncomfortable.

"_You're going to have to come up with a better argument than that,"_ Alec told him. _"She's _terrified_."_

"_And Tony?"_

"_He's worried, but he understands that he can't focus only on your safety – he has _Pepper _to worry about, as well, and – like you – he doesn't trust the universe to leave her safe and sound if he stands by and watches from the sidelines."_

"_Yeah."_

"_Not to mention the rest of the world,"_ Alec added. "_You didn't miss how he reminded the others just how close we are to the city and all the innocent people there."_

"_No, I caught that, too."_

Sure enough, Pepper let go of Peter and Tony both the moment they walked through the door of their quarters.

"I want you to send Peter to Wakanda," she told her husband.

"That isn't going to happen," Peter said, before Tony even had a chance to open his mouth. "I'm not going to put Shuri and T'Challa in danger because Thanos is after _me_."

"This isn't your decision, Peter," Pepper snapped. "You're too young to decide what-"

"Pepper," Tony interrupted. "Peter's _right_. We can't endanger the Wakandans like that. It's not right. Besides; we're going to have a shield here that's going to be as solid – if not _more_ – than theirs."

"He's our responsibility, Tony," she reminded him. "We have to keep him _safe_."

"We're _going_ to," he assured her. "I meant what I said; if he comes after Peter, he's going to run into a shitstorm of epic proportions. Every version of the suit that I've ever made is fully capable of being automated, still, and I'm going to get together with Shuri to design a shield around the entire area. Thanos will have to get through me to get to Peter, and you know it."

"Still…"

"Not to mention Stephen and Wong – and whatever other magicians can be brought to bear – as well as Thor, Steve and the others."

She didn't look convinced, really, and – if _anything_ – she looked more worried. The list was an impressive one, she knew, but she didn't know what the unseen army was capable of – and she'd seen what had happened in New York.

"_She's just realized that Tony isn't going to hide, either," Alec told him. "But she's more accustomed to being afraid for him than she is for you. You've kindled that maternal instinct and it's a powerful force."_

"_What do I do?"_

"_Remind her that you're not going to do anything stupid. It's not going to help, but it'll keep her from trying to drive you to Ohio in the middle of the night."_

Peter nodded; he hadn't even thought of that concern, but it was a real possibility, he knew.

"It's going to be fine, mom," Peter told her, sincerely, taking up the list. "Shuri has some amazing tech in Wakanda that you haven't even seen, yet. It's not all shields, either. There are some serious repulser guns – like on Tony's suit, only bigger. Capable of knocking the flying turtle things out of the sky if they come, and anything else he might bring."

Pepper looked at him, and then at Tony, who nodded.

"He's right. If the Wakandans had been in New York when the Chitari came, the battle would have been over a lot sooner and with less destruction. Shuri told me that she's watched the videos from it and created an arsenal specifically with the creatures that she'd seen in mind – just in case they returned. Her intention was the protection of Wakanda, but the same technology can be brought to bear here."

"_And_ we have _Carol_," Peter added. "She's a good compliment to the Ironman suit, really."

Which might help ease her concerns about Tony, Peter hoped, because if Carol and Tony were back to back, they should be able to overcome anything going at them.

"Still…"

"Watch what happens, honey," Tony told her, softly. "It's going to be alright. I promise."

With both of them turning on her; both so confident and so certain, she had to back down, but she _didn't_ have to like it.

"He doesn't leave the compound," she told Tony. "_Ever_."

"I have _school_," Peter reminded her, indignant. "And-"

"No." This time it was _Tony_ who interrupted him. His father's expression was resolute. "She's right. You're the key to everything, according to this prophesy – and you're everything to me and your mom. You don't leave the protections of the compound unless we agree – and school's _out_ for the near future."

"But-"

"Do you _really_ want Thanos to come looking for you at school?" he asked, pointedly. "Because he _might_, and from what Gamora and the others are saying, it doesn't sound like he'd even hesitate to level the school and all the kids in it – _including_ Ned and MJ – to try and find you. Would you risk that?"

Peter recoiled at the thought of something like that happening, and he knew that Tony didn't like being so blunt with him, but that he didn't have time to be gentle.

"No. Of course not."

"We'll have your schoolwork uploaded into Karen's systems so you don't get behind," Tony assured him.

"_Just agree,"_ Alec told him. "_There's no other choice, really. He's right."_

Now it was Peter who was being faced down by all of them, and it was Peter who had to nod his agreement.

"Yeah. Okay."

"We might be overestimating this guy," Tony told him. "Maybe he'll run into something that will kill him before he even gets an idea of where you are. Who knows? Maybe the stone will turn on him and kill him, if we get lucky."

"You don't think so, though," Pepper said.

"No. Which is why we're going to do everything that we can to be ready for him – just in case."


	19. Chapter 19

"_Is there a reason that aliens are suddenly so interested in the earth?"_ T'Challa asked, frowning at Tony's image in the conference call.

"We're an interesting planet," Tony replied with a shrug. "What do you say? Can we borrow your sister and her technology chops?"

"_Of course. Even if we were not allies, it would be foolish of me to deny you anything needed to battle this Titan. A battle lost in your country will only lead to the war moving to my country, eventually. Better that we stop him the first try."_

"I definitely agree."

"_Are you sure you would not rather have Peter come to Wakanda? And Pepper, as well?"_

Tony shook his head.

"I appreciate the sentiment, T'Challa, but if we fall no place on earth will be safe for them. I'd rather have them both here."

Besides, there was no way he was going to be able to convince Pepper to hide under shield in Wakanda if he and Peter were both in New York."

"_I will inform Shuri,"_ the Wakandan king told him. _"It will not be immediate, however. She will be the first to tell me that not all technology is mobile."_

"Or plug and play," Tony said, nodding. "I know. When she's ready, call. I'll have one of the magicians open a portal into her workshop – or wherever works best for her."

"_I will. If there is anything you need, let me know."_

"Thanks."

The call ended without any more conversation, and Tony turned to Peter and Pepper.

"You're going to work with Shuri," he told the boy. "She understands the shields better than anyone, and I'm going to interface Karen with Friday's systems and give you access to everything in the compound. When she calls to see what we need, tell her I want offensive capabilities as well as defensive shields."

Peter nodded.

"We'll take care of it."

Tony's expression softened.

"I know you will. But keep Friday apprised so she can tell me what you're up to. And make sure you tell Shuri that she isn't to share what is going on with anyone."

"Okay."

"What are you going to be doing?" Pepper asked.

"I need to call Vision and Wanda and let them know what's going on." He frowned. "I hate the idea of bringing another stone here, but I'd rather have them under the protection of the shield with a lot of firepower around that Mind stone – unless _Vision_ thinks it's a bad idea. Wanda and Vision could probably hold their own against almost anything, but it's the Mind stone, and we might need it here. I also need to talk to Thor."

"What can I do?" she asked. "You need to put me to work or I'm going to go crazy with worry."

"I know, honey." He hesitated, because there were plenty of things that she could do, but he was worried about her being vulnerable if the worst happened and the compound was breached. "I have something I'd like you to consider…"

"What?" He looked fairly uncertain, which told her that he whatever it was, it was almost a guarantee that she wasn't going to like it. "I'm not _leaving_ you guys…"

His smile was a little tight, but genuine. "No. I _know_." He shrugged. "Come with me. You, too, Peter."

He turned and led the way out of their quarters, walking toward Peter's rooms, but then making a sharp turn and Peter realized that Tony was leading them to his main workroom. Not the smaller one that was connected to their quarters, but the full on R&D lab that was the manufacturing workshop for anything that Tony thought up and wanted to build.

Peter felt a little bit of a chill when he walked into the room, but he knew it was mostly because of the potential in the technology that was developed there – and all of the Ironman suits in their displays staring at them didn't help.

"What are we doing here?" Pepper asked, curiously, also looking around.

"Friday," Tony said, ignoring the question for just a moment. "We're going to initiate the Rescue Protocol."

"_Confirmed."_

Pepper wasn't the only one to look at him, questioningly. Peter hadn't heard the phrase, either.

"_Oh. Very good_…" Alec was close enough to Tony to get into his mind, and apparently he liked what he was seeing. _"He's covering all his bases, as you'd say."_

The ancient wizard didn't tell Peter what he meant, but Tony didn't make them wait. He took Pepper's hand and gently guided her to a spot that was marked with a simple 'x' on the floor made of duct tape.

"Stand there for a minute, Pep."

He moved away, and she frowned as a red beam was suddenly scanning her from every angle.

"What-?"

"_Scan complete,"_ Friday announced. "_Manufacturing will commence in thirty seconds."_

"ETA?"

"_Forty-seven hours."_

"Fully integrated?"

"_Do you want flight capabilities?"_

"Yes. With dampeners, auto controls and full weaponry – all safety protocols to be engaged."

"_Confirmed. ETA five days, six hours and thirty minutes."_

"Good enough."

Pepper wasn't an idiot, and even as it dawned on Peter what he was discussing with his AI, his mother figured it out, as well.

"You're building a new suit?"

"Building _you_ a suit," Tony corrected. "I planned to, eventually – just in case – but never got around to it, since you were pretty anti suit for a while, and I didn't want to dredge up old memories. But the protocol has been established and the template has been laid on for years, now. If something happens…" he waved his hands, helplessly. "If something happens and I go down, you're going to need to be able to protect yourself."

"But-"

"Not that anything is _going_ to," he said, firmly. "But I'd feel a lot better if you were encased in a suit of armor if this army shows up on our doorsteps some morning. Peter has the suit Shuri made – which he will keep the housing on at all times, now – so he's protected. But you _aren't_, and that's not okay."

"I can't learn to use an Ironman suit in a few days," she protested.

"You already know a lot of it," he reminded her. "I don't have time to develop you your own AI, but Friday can multi-task, if needed. The weapons systems will be manual – and you're a good shot. I'd prefer you didn't try flying, but while Friday's building the thing, you can start going through the user manual."

Peter felt a surge of relief. _Pepper_ was the weak link, really, and Tony had just negated that. If she was in armor – protected by a high tech weapons system and a sensor array driven by Friday, she was going to be a lot safer. A bit of a target, yes, but really, it was worth it.

"That's brilliant…" he said, drawing both of their attention to him. He shrugged. "You'll be safe. No matter what happens."

Pepper had clearly been planning to refuse, or argue about it, anyway. Instead, she looked at Peter, and then back at Tony, and nodded.

"Fine. But not red and gold."

"Fair." He smiled. "You've always looked good in blue…"

The moment was a personal one between the two of them, and Peter was silent while he watched them, but it only lasted that moment.

"I'm not going to start looking through the instruction manual tonight," she told him. "If it's going to take a week to build, then it can wait until tomorrow."

"Yeah." He looked at Peter. "Can Alec buffer you from the Mind stone if I call Vision and ask him to come for a conference?"

"Yes."

OOOOOOO

The lounge was almost empty of avengers when Tony walked in with Peter and Pepper. The exception being Natasha and Clint, who were sitting at the table with the guardians, looking at a display. Even Groot had put away his video game to join them. Romanoff looked up when they approached – as did Gamora.

"What are we learning?" the billionaire asked, walking over and holding a chair for Pepper.

"I've never seen anything like it," Natasha answered, her beautiful face expressionless – which told Tony much more than was apparent. "Its destructive capabilities are incredible."

"It can take out an entire planet," Quill told them. "Without any problem."

"The good news is, Thanos isn't coming to take out your planet," Gamora told them. "Which doesn't mean that he won't – once he gets what he wants. If he knows about Peter, then he'll be after _Peter_, and will have to be careful not to destroy anyplace where he might be for fear of hurting or damaging him. If he's after the stones, he'll need to make sure not to cause a debris field where he might lose one."

"But I wouldn't trust him not to do something," Rocket added.

That was a warning that wasn't needed.

Tony nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks." He looked at Clint and Natasha. "Have you heard from Steve?"

"He's talking to Fury – who is on his way back."

"Good. Stephen and Wong?"

"Left for the sanctum but Stephen said to call when – _if_ – you need a portal for Wakanda or Asgard."

"He can make a portal anywhere?" Gamora asked, curiously.

Tony hesitated. Not because he didn't trust her to give her the answer, but because he didn't know for certain what the limits were – or if there were any.

"_Yes_," Alec told Peter, aware of the reason for Tony's hesitation. _"Anywhere. And to other dimensions."_

"Yes," Peter echoed. "But he has to have been there – or needs to see where he's going."

"That might come in handy," Quill said.

Tony nodded.

"It's a useful ability, definitely."

"I am groot?"

Stark looked at Peter, who shrugged.

"I've never tried."

"And you're not _going_ to," Tony told him, putting his hand on his shoulder, and smiling, slightly, despite the seriousness of the situation. "I happen to know that you have _no_ sense of direction, and we wouldn't want an attempt to Asgard to end up opening on Mars, or something."

"It's not that bad…" Peter said, automatically defending himself. "I'm-"

"You got lost trying to find the river…" Clint reminded him.

Peter rolled his eyes.

"It was _foggy_. And it was just that once."

Pepper made an amused noise, as well – the first she'd made in far too long.

"Let's take a break," she suggested. "We should all eat something."

Quill being the exception, since he was probably still engulfed in the sugar rush from all f the junk food that he'd eaten.

No one argued with her, though, and the display was set aside, for the time being. They had time.

Probably.


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: So, I hate to give out spoilers on my stories, but I don't want you guys stressing (too much), so I'm going to do a little spoiling, here. I'm not going to kill any of the main characters when Thanos comes. So no worries about our family – and its extension. I'm not a fan of the way Endgame ended, and even though my AU started long before I saw it, so I didn't know it was a fix-it, it pretty much is._

OOOOO

Steve and Nick joined them at dinner, and the former director of SHIELD brushed a hand along Peter's shoulder as he walked around the table to an empty spot next to Natasha.

"What did T'Challa say?" he asked Stark.

"He's onboard for anything that we need. Shuri will be here in the morning to start helping Peter set up the shielding."

"How far out are we looking at for that?" Clint asked, curiously. "Just the area around the buildings?"

"The Wakanda shield protects the entire Golden City – as well as a few miles, beyond. We'll have to wait and see what Shuri has to say about how much coverage we can get, but I imagine we can protect ten miles out in every direction – if not _more_."

"That's something," Steve said. "It'll give us room to work with."

"What kind of shield are we talking about?" Quill asked, curiously. He wasn't eating much, clearly having ruined his appetite with the junk food he'd gorged on, earlier. "What will it block?"

"Anything," Tony answered. "They used a minor version of it to keep wild animals away while we were there on our honeymoon, but I checked it out when Pepper wasn't paying attention and it's impressive tech. Not something that I've needed to work with – which is why we're bringing Shuri in – but it'll be our first line of defense, really."

"We're going to make some calls tomorrow," Nick said. "We're going to want to make sure the area is clear of civilians if this guy comes, but we – and by _we_ I mean the _Avengers_ – can't authorize any evacuations and we don't have the manpower to initiate it. That'll be on the military. National Guard, most likely, but reinforced with regular army units. Hard to tell – especially since we don't have a real timeline for this."

"Yes," Steve agreed, with a shrug. "It's hard to judge, and we can't tell them to start evacuating now for something that might not really happen for a year or more. The calls we make will at least make them aware of what's going on, so they can start coming up with their own plans."

"I am groot?"

Peter smiled.

"Who is Shuri? She's the little sister of T'Challa – he's the king of Wakanda. They're nice people. You can meet her, tomorrow."

"I've never even _heard_ of Wakanda," Quill said. The others weren't from earth so of course they hadn't. "Where is it?"

"In Africa," Tony replied. "They're an interesting bunch of people."

"One of their craftsmen made that wooden carving on the wall there," Peter added, pointing at it.

While they ate, the group discussed not only Wakanda and some of the tech that they possessed and that Tony intended to make use of, but also the people of the small, isolationist country. Which led to stories of their visit during Tony and Pepper's honeymoon and eventually merged into a somewhat relaxing dinner conversation, considering how seriously it was started.

Peter wasn't all that hungry, because he'd had a couple of corndogs, but he still ate a hearty meal, knowing that Pepper, especially, would be watching him, worried about any kind of lack of appetite. He was watching as Mantis and Rocket debated about whether or not they wanted to try ice cream when his phone alerted him to a text.

"It's Shuri," he told Tony, glancing at it. "I'm going to go to my room and call her."

"Let me know what you learn."

"I will."

Peter gave Pepper a quick hug before he got up, trying to reassure her that things weren't as terrible as she might worry that they were. Then he left the room, the adults watching him go.

"How's he doing?" Steve asked.

"Better than I am," Tony admitted.

"He's staying calm because _you_ are," Pepper told her husband. She looked at Natasha. "_I'd_ like to put him as deep into his vibranium mine there in Wakanda as I could get him, but Peter shot that down, reminding me that he's not putting our allies in danger just because someone is looking for him."

"He's right," Natasha agreed. "Besides, I'd rather have him here, where I can keep track of him."

"I was outvoted."

"What are we going to do about school?" Clint asked, curiously. "Do we send someone with him, just in case?"

"He's done, _for now_," Tony told him – and the others. "We can't risk having an army pointed at New York, again, if Thanos comes looking for him at the wrong time. We'll keep him here."

"Does he know?" Romanoff asked.

"He wasn't happy about it, but it'd be putting Ned and MJ at risk, so it wasn't hard to convince him it's the right call."

"Yeah, it is. We're not going to do anything special as far as protecting _them_?"

"No need to," the billionaire shrugged. "I'm assuming that – at least for now – Thanos doesn't know anything about us, much less who _Peter_ hangs out with. If that changes, we'll worry about it, then, and plan accordingly."

"We'll have a plan to set in motion," Natasha said. "Just in case."

"Good enough. Stephen will be here in the morning to bring Shuri – and maybe T'Challa – here. We're going to have a few surprises that I didn't know about – Shuri apparently has been anticipating the possibility of an alien invasion for years, and has already set Wakanda up with offensive capabilities. Once we know what she has that we can copy, we'll want to integrate it with our own, and then start deciding where we want to put it."

"Once we know where the shield will begin," Steve agreed.

"I can't wait to meet this Shuri," Gamora said. "She must be a wise woman."

"You're half right," Pepper said, smiling.

OOOOOOO

"What's going on, Peter?" Shuri asked, her expression concerned. "T'Challa mentioned an alien army may be coming. Is it the skrulls?"

"No. This doesn't have anything to do with them," the boy told her, stroking Nutmeg's furry side as he talked to his friend on the phone's video call mode. "This is a lot more serious – but we'll have to wait until you're here, really, to tell you about it. There are some visitors that you're going to have to meet, too."

"Interesting ones?"

Peter smiled.

"Yeah. If you happen to talk to Ned or MJ, though, you can't tell them what's going on."

"I don't know what's going on," she pointed out.

"But you will, and they can't know."

Tony hadn't explained it to him, but he didn't need to, really. If Ned and MJ knew what might be coming, they'd be tempted to tell their families and their other friends. When the military started showing up with whatever cover story they were going to use to put themselves between the compound and the city, the word might spread, and panic would almost certainly ensue.

Then people could be getting hurt when they shouldn't be.

OOOOOOO

"What is this?"

"It's a _prophesy_," the Collector explained, having read it to the mad Titan several times – and then directing one of his underlings to write it out on a piece of paper in common script and handing it over to one of Thanos' lieutenants. "It's beyond old, and worth a fortune."

"Where did it come from?" Thanos asked. "How do I know this isn't a ruse to distract me and my army from my quest?"

"It's been in my collection since time untold, Lord Thanos. Long before you came along, even. There are _copies_ of it that have been around longer than you. It isn't a fake."

"Where is this child? And this man of iron?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," the collector told him. He hesitated at the frown on the Titan's face at his familiarity. "Or… _better_, really. My humble suggestion? The stones recognize each other. If one knows this boy, then they all might – through their connection. _You_ possess one. Focus on it and see what it tells you."

Thanos scowled.

"It doesn't talk."

"Not as you and I do, of course, but you _must_ have felt it." He didn't mention that he'd felt something from the stone that he'd possessed, those few times he'd had it out of the protective case it was stored in. "Someone as powerful as yourself should have no trouble with that. Calm your mind and open yourself to it. Perhaps it will tell you what you wish to learn."

The titan looked at him, suspiciously, for many long minutes, eyes narrowed. Finally, he nodded, though.

"Very well." Before the Collector could breathe a sigh of relief, Thanos gestured to one of his children, who stepped up. "You will tell the Maw which of your underlings are missing, and where each is from. I want the stone that was stolen, Maw. Do not fail me."

"No. I'll find it. You can count on me."


	21. Chapter 21

"Are we worried about him sleepwalking?"

Tony shook his head.

"He's only done it a couple of times since Alec downloaded into his mind. I'm more worried about _Pepper_, to tell the truth."

Natasha was the only person besides Tony and Peter who knew about Pepper's attempt to keep her son safe by driving him to the farm that she grew up on, still owned by her, even though her folks were long passed. The only problem with the plan had been that Pepper had been sleepwalking at the time. Even _Pepper_ didn't know about it, since Tony hadn't wanted to worry her into making it a repeat situation.

"Yes, I can see why." Romanoff hesitated. "We can't sleep with him every night for the next unforeseeable future," she said – even though if she thought it would keep him safe that was exactly what she'd do. "I'll leave my door open for him, if he comes to me, but this is one of those gray areas where it's really going to depend on him, I think."

Tony nodded his agreement, and looked over at Pepper, who was chatting with Rocket and Mantis as casually as if she wasn't talking to a racoon and a woman with antenna.

"I'm about ready to call it a night. We'll stop by and check on him before we go to bed. Do the same, will you? Let me know what you think we need to do?"

"Yes. Of course."

The guardians had all been given VIP rooms, and there were SHIELD trainees who were now stationed outside the corridor to those quarters – in case they needed anything, not as guards – and then they'd simply been asked not to break anything. They weren't completely allies, yet, but they definitely weren't prisoners.

Tony walked back over, standing behind Pepper's chair and wrapping his arms around her from behind so he could rest his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm going to bed."

She smiled, reaching up to brush her fingers against his jaw.

"I'll come with you, since I can't convince Rocket to let me rub his furry belly."

If a racoon could blush, Rocket would have. As it was, Groot made an amused laughing noise from his position beside the racoon and Mantis smiled at the emotions coming from her companions. She had never seen someone flirt with Rocket – and had never felt him react to anyone with the cheerfulness that he had with Pepper. Groot being the lone person who ever made him really feel happy at times.

"If I let _you_," Rocket said, shrugging and affecting nonchalance. "Then I gotta let _everyone_. Next thing you know, I'm running around bald."

Pepper chuckled and got up.

"I'll see you guys in the morning."

The others around the table added in their own goodnights, and Tony and Pepper walked out of the room, holding hands. Without discussing it, they both turned and headed for Peter's rooms.

"Friday?" Tony asked, aware that out in the corridors his AI could hear him just fine. "Is Peter asleep?"

"Karen says he's on the couch with the kitten."

Which told them that they weren't going to wake him, or interrupt a shower or bath or something. Sure enough when they reached his rooms and knocked, Peter's voice was close at hand when he told them to come in. The boy smiled up at them, despite Nutmeg sitting on his neck, little paws kneading his cheeks and purring as loud as the Quinjet engines.

They walked over to the couch, and Pepper scooped the kitten up into her arms, tucking him belly up and rubbing _his_ belly, lightly, which elicited more purring and a slightly glazed expression on the kitten's face.

"We're going to bed," she said, before Tony could. "Do you need anything?"

Peter smiled, but shook his head. He wondered if normal parents of normal sixteen-year-olds did that; checking in every night before going to bed, just in case there was something that the kid needed. He'd have to ask MJ, sometime – or _Ned_, even.

"_Normal parents of teenagers probably have to do a bed check to make sure their kids haven't been sneaking out of the house to go to parties, or out getting in trouble,"_ Alec pointed out. _"They don't have that concern with you."_

"_Because trouble comes to me and saves me the hassle of going to look for it."_

"_There is that,"_ the alien sorcerer agreed, amused.

"No," he replied, aloud, also amused, despite the fact that they both knew it was true. "I talked to Shuri for a while and was just trying to settle Nutmeg so I can go to bed without having to worry about him chewing my face off in the middle of the night."

"But it's such a _handsome_ face," Pepper said, her eyes going from the kitten to him, and then back to the kitten – where she suddenly started baby-talking. "Isn't it, Nutmeg? We would totally nibble on it all night if not for anti-cannibalism laws…"

Peter blushed at the compliment and shook his head at the context, looking at Tony, who shrugged with a _what can you do_? look for his son.

"You told Shuri what's going on?" Tony asked.

"No. Not really." His phone was as secure as any, due to Karen being integrated with it, as well as the rest of his electronics – and Shuri's was as high-tech as his. But still… "I didn't know if you'd want me to do that over the phone, so I just told her what we were going to want to talk to her about, so that she would have an idea of what to bring with them."

"_Them_?" Pepper asked.

"T'Challa's coming. And _Okoye_, naturally."

"Naturally."

"You know what would be interesting?" Tony said, reaching over and taking Nutmeg from Pepper and pressing his face into the kitten's furry belly. "Getting Gamora, Okoye and Romanoff all in the same ring and having them face off. I'd pay money for that."

"If you even mention it, I'm going to pack up my son and his kitten – _and_ your pig – and leave you," Pepper told him, shaking her head.

"It was just a thought," the billionaire said, smiling, innocently.

"And a _bad_ one. What time are they coming tomorrow, sweetheart?"

"After breakfast. T'Challa has already spoken to Stephen. They'll be ready around nine – our time."

"Then we'd better let you get some sleep," Tony said, handing him back his kitten. His expression turned a little more serious. "Are you alright?"

Which Peter knew meant did he need them to stay with him. His own expression softened as he felt that love that he had for them bubble up warm and comfortingly inside him, threatening to make his heart explode with happiness like it did every time they did something to remind him how much they cared about him. Even when it was something little, like that. They'd have plopped right down beside him and stayed with him all night if he needed them to – and he knew it.

Which was why he didn't need them to, just then.

"I'm fine, dad," he said, honestly. "Thanks."

Pepper leaned over the back of the couch and hugged him, kitten and all, pressing a kiss against his cheek.

"We love you."

Peter smiled, bringing his arm around her as well as he could with kitten and the awkward angle.

"I love you, too."

Tony hugged him, too.

"If you need anything, have Karen call Friday."

"I will. I'll see you in the morning."

"Don't stay up too late," Pepper told him.

"Yeah. I won't. Goodnight."

They left, closing the door behind them, and Peter leaned back into the soft leather of the sofa he was sitting on and closed his eyes, returning Nutmeg to a spot on his chest so he could pet the kitten and keep him calm.

"Karen? Where's Natasha?"

_"In the lounge."_

"Thanks."

"_She'll probably come check on you, too,"_ Alec said_. "Before she goes to bed."_

"Yeah, I know." And she might join him, if she was too concerned about him. Or if she thought he needed the reassurance that always came in her arms. "She's like that."

"_Amazing?"_

"Yeah." The boy opened his eyes and tightened his hold on the kitten so he could stand up without worrying about dumping him. "I'm going to bed."

He was going to need to be at his best, the next day, if he was going to be working with Shuri. She was brilliant, after all, and he didn't want to look like an idiot in front of her.

"Everyone_ looks like an idiot, compared to her,"_ Alec pointed out. He was clearly impressed by the girl, and didn't bother to hide it.

"Except Tony," Peter added, loyally.

"_Well, yeah. That's a given_."

Smiling; pleased that even someone as powerful as Alec was – and _had_ _been_ – was impressed by Tony, Peter headed for his bedroom to get ready for bed.


	22. Chapter 22

"Where did he end up?"

"In with Tony and Pepper." Natasha shrugged. "He looked alright, though, when I spoke with him at breakfast. I think he's more worried about them than he's afraid for himself, this time."

"He has reason to be afraid," Strange said. "This Thanos certainly sounds like a threat. But he's incredibly powerful, really, so I can understand why he'd be more worried about them worrying about him and wanting to be with them."

"We've seen that before," Natasha agreed.

They fell silent when they walked into the gym, joining the others who were waiting for them. Stephen, in particular, since he was the one who was going to be creating the portal that brought T'Challa, Shuri and Okoye to the compound.

"Good morning," Tony said, walking over to join him and Romanoff in the center of the room. Tucked under one arm, Ironpig was wearing a maroon sweater and clearly enjoying the attention. "Are you ready?"

Strange nodded, looking at the small group waiting. The guardians were all there, clearly curious to see who was coming. As well as the way they were going to be brought in which was new to all of them.

Drax had been fairly scornful of the idea of someone using magic, and even though he was the most vocal – by far – the others were looking fairly skeptical, as well.

Peter was there, as well, with Nutmeg in his arm to keep the kitten from getting underfoot, otherwise, and the boy was talking to Steve and Clint, who were flanked by a couple of SHIELD agents acting as security.

"I'm ready. Are the Wakandans?"

"They're waiting for word."

Strange nodded, stepping to the space in the center of the room that had been left clear for him, and the room went silent as he lifted his hand. Peter walked over to stand beside Tony, smiling over at his dad, and unable to hide the fact that he was excited to see Shuri, despite the serious reason for her visit.

A moment later, Mantis gasped as the fiery ring appeared in midair, widened and grew until it was larger than man-sized, and then grew a bit more. A moment later, T'Challa walked into the gym, with Okoye and Shuri flanking him. Shuri was pushing a mag lift cart in front of her and it was piled high with assorted containers. Almost certainly everything that she thought would be needed to start the task of securing the compound against the threat that she still didn't have full disclosure on.

The girl smiled at Peter, but maintained her position by her brother as the portal closed behind them, and Tony stepped up to make the formal greetings that were always required.

"Where is your lovely wife?" The king of Wakanda asked, smiling. "I was looking forward to seeing her."

"She'll catch up to us at lunch," Tony told him. "She had a few things that needed to be taken care of."

What she was doing was actually spending the morning in Tony's workroom, starting to work with Friday on learning as much as she could about the suit that was already taking shape in the manufacturing tube.

T'Challa nodded his acceptance of that, and turned to Peter, offering his hand to the boy, as well.

"Peter, it is good to see you. You are well?"

"Yeah. Thanks. You?"

"I am fine. I understand we have a new threat to dispatch?"

Peter nodded, looking over at Tony, and then Gamora before he looked back at T'Challa.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"This one isn't on _Peter_," Tony pointed out. "I'll catch you up on what's going on, and Peter can tell Shuri."

It was obvious that Tony was in a hurry for the shield to get started, and Shuri looked over at Peter, who nodded, smiling at the thought of working with her – even if it was such a serious reason.

"Yeah."

"Use the workroom off my quarters," Tony told him – since Pepper had the main workroom, and there was no way in hell he was going to allow the boy and the princess to go as far as the tower to use the workroom there.

"Alright." Peter stepped forward and offered to push the cart that she'd brought with her.

"I am groot?"

Peter looked at Tony.

"He wants to come with us."

The billionaire hesitated, but then shrugged.

"If you don't mind, I don't care."

It wasn't like the tree was going to be able to add to the conversation for either group, but he was unobtrusive, and not likely to be in the way.

Peter looked at Shuri, who was staring at Groot, her expression an amusing hodgepodge of amazement, curiosity and maybe a little fear.

"Do you mind if he comes?"

"No."

Groot stepped forward, gesturing to the cart and clearly offering to push it. Shuri relinquished the handle and the three were soon heading for the door, Groot pushing the mag lift cart and Shuri cuddling Nutmeg in her arms.

Drax frowned, watching them go, and then turned to Stark, his expression incredulous.

"That's _Shuri_?"

Tony nodded.

"Yeah."

"She's a _little girl_. How is she going to be of any assistance to your defense?"

T'Challa started to say something – almost certainly a defense of his sister – and Tony held his hand up to stop him; he was already becoming used to Drax's lack of filter.

"She's _brilliant_," Tony told him – and the other guardians. "We're lucky to have her."

Looking only slightly mollified, T'Challa and Okoye were introduced to the guardians, who had been coached by Quill what a king was – although he'd never heard of Wakanda, of course.

"Come on," Tony said. "Let's go fill you in on everything we know, so far. Which isn't enough."

"I would appreciate it," T'Challa said, allowing the implied insult to slide.

He definitely wanted to know everything that they could tell him – especially if Shuri was going to be involved – and to find out if there was any other way Wakanda could help.

OOOOO

Shuri couldn't help the sidelong glances at Groot as they walked through the coordinates toward Tony's quarters, but she was a princess and a princess doesn't stare, and isn't rude enough to as a stranger blunt questions.

Peter smiled, though, well aware of what was going through her mind – he didn't even need Alec to tell him.

"You can ask," he finally said, as he opened the door to his parents' rooms and held it for Groot and Shuri. "He won't mind."

"What is he?"

"I am groot."

"He's a plant based organism," Peter told her. "Walking, talking tree."

"His name's Groot?"

"That's what they call him – for obvious reasons – so that's what he answers to, yes."

She smiled at the young tree, who returned the gesture.

"I think he is incredible."

"I am groot."

Peter laughed, and she looked at him, not even surprised that her friend knew what had been said.

"What did he say?"

"He likes you, too."

Shuri looked around the workroom when they entered, and Peter could see the wheels turning in her mind.

"Tell me what you need the shield for," she said, turning to him and sitting on the edge of the work table. "I imagine it must be pretty serious. Tony looks worried."

Peter shrugged.

"Yeah, it's a little scary. Do you want anything to drink?"

Tony had a bar in their quarters and Peter knew that he and Pepper wouldn't care if the teens helped themselves.

"Not yet," she said. "Tell me what's going on."

OOOOOOO

T'Challa shook his head, looking from the screen that was showing the damages that had been recorded by the guardians on Xandar over to those who were watching him.

"I do not know that even the shielding that protects my country would be able to stand against such overwhelming energy."

Tony nodded, his expression bleak – and a match for most of the others.

"We're going to have to stop him before it comes to that," he said. "If this Thanos actually has the stone, Gamora says that he might be the most powerful being in the universe – and definitely the biggest threat."

"The advantage that we have is that we're pretty sure he will be coming looking for _Peter_," Gamora said. She gave Tony an apologetic look, as if well aware that it wasn't really an advantage as much as it was probably terrifying for him to know someone was after his son. "That means that he won't unleash the power of the stones for fear of destroying him along with the rest of the planet."

"This stone is that powerful?" Okoye asked, skeptically – despite having seen the footage.

"It's called the power stone for a reason," Quill said.

"Our job will be to stop Thanos," Tony said to T'Challa. "_And_ his army. Preferably before he hurts anyone. Including Peter."

"And the rest of you," T'Challa added.

"That's the plan," Tony agreed. "But we don't have confirmation that he has it, yet. We're waiting to hear from Captain Danvers."

"But you feel that he does."

The billionaire nodded, and shrugged.

"Let's just say I'm going to try to prepare for the worst that can come looking for us."

"Then we will help you," T'Challa promised. "Aside from the shield and the pulse cannons that Shuri will help set up, we will keep a large force of our border tribe, Jabari and my own personal guards at the ready at all times – to supplement the warriors you have available."

"Thank you. We accept."

A voice from behind Tony spoke up, then, and he turned, immediately, smiling when Pepper joined them.

"No war rhinos, though," she said, walking over. "I don't trust Peter to not want one."

"Fair enough," T'Challa agreed, also smiling at her.


	23. Chapter 23

They spent the morning in a small conference room, with Steve doing most of the talking. He had a huge display, which showed a layout of the compound and much of the area around it – several miles out. Tony and Pepper sat beside each other, with Tony's hand holding hers, firmly, as if trying to reassure her (or himself) that they were going to be fine. Also present were the guardians – minus Groot – T'Challa and Okoye, Natasha and a few SHIELD people, Clint, Nick, Stephen and Wong.

"The military has been informed," Steve told them. "Right now, since we couldn't really give them any timeline, what they're going to do is start activating some National guard units – _quietly_ – from New York and all the surrounding states. They'll stay where they are, and the higher ups will be telling them that they're doing readiness drills."

"Which is true," Clint pointed out.

"Right." He looked at Tony. "We're going to have a couple of military liaisons coming out to stay here – to be available with instant communications to their superior officers. If – when – something happens, they'll be in the position to call up those activated units and get them into position. And call on the Army regulars, as well."

"Good plan."

Steve smiled.

"It's the military. We like to be organized and ready."

He was a long time removed from having actually been part of a military unit, but that didn't negate the military mindset.

"In the meantime," Tony said. "We'll want to start looking at how best to protect this place – in the event that the shield doesn't keep these guys out. He looked at Gamora. "Would you mind giving us all that you know about those who might be coming with Thanos?"

"Yes, of course."

She'd expected it, really, and was prepared. Even better, when she stood up, Quill stood as well and with a portable display of their own that grew exponentially to the size of the one Steve had been using, she was able to bring up images of each one of Thanos' so-called children, and give an extremely detailed description of who they were and what – if any – abilities they had beyond what their size and demeanor would make one expect.

The entire room was silent, except for the sound of several pens scratching on paper as some of them took notes the old fashioned way.

OOOOO

In the workroom off of Tony and Pepper's quarters, there was a briefing of another sort going on. Groot and Peter were sitting on the edge of the work table, listening to Shuri as she went through all of the equipment that she'd brought with her, telling Peter what each did and explaining that most of it was really for the pulse cannons.

"They're _really_ called pulse cannons?" Peter asked her, surprised by how small they were.

"Yes." She shrugged. "We can call them anything, really, but the energy released when triggered is in the same beat as a heart, really. The vibranium in the barrels will absorb the energy as it travels the length and magnify it when it comes out. Which is why they can be so small."

"Can you hold it like a gun?"

She smiled.

"No. Unless you wish to be knocked backward half a kilometer. They pack a tremendous punch. Not even _Steve_ would be able to wield it as such. They'll need to be positioned on the roofs. But they have swivels and each power pack will be tied in to the same energy source as the shield. They have to be, because otherwise the shield will drain the cannons."

"I am groot?"

"Do they have to be manned? Or are they one remote?" Peter translated.

"They can be remotely operated." Shuri shrugged. "We have never actually done more than simple tests with them," she admitted. "But when I saw the damage that had been done in New York, and the creatures that did it… If anything will bring down the flying monsters, it will be one of these."

"You're amazing," Peter told her, genuinely impressed.

Which made her blush, and smile.

"Now, let me explain the shielding and what we'll require."

"Friday? You're listening in?"

"Of course."

Peter pulled out his tablet so that he could make some notes of anything that he had a question about. He knew that he didn't actually have to write anything down, really, since Friday was listening, and Karen was networked in. Anything they heard, he'd have access to instantaneously.

OOOOO

"Have we heard from Peter?"

"Friday says they're in the workroom." Tony glanced at his watch, and then at T'Challa. "I didn't expect that to take so long, sorry."

It was well into the afternoon by the time Gamora had finished telling them about the resources that Thanos had available to him in the form of the people (and creatures) that he had around him. The list had been worrisome, and definitely troubling. What had been thrown at New York was apparently nothing compared to what could be thrown at the earth if the madman showed up on their doorstep. Looking around the room as they finally broke up the meeting, Tony could see a lot of serious expressions but no fear. Only resolution.

His people knew that they were the first line of defense against the dangers to the planet and their people, and they would do what they needed to do to keep her safe. Earth's mightiest heroes, and all that.

"It is better to have all the information and skip lunch," T'Challa said, shrugging.

"Let's go see what the kids have been doing," Tony told him. "We'll pull them away from their video games and make them have an early dinner with us, just so we know they had something to eat."

The young king nodded his agreement, even though they all knew that they weren't going to find Peter and Shuri goofing off. The four of them headed for the workroom, leaving the others still in the conference room, but separating into smaller groups and heading for various other places. Mostly the lounge, or the commissary, since they were all hungry, too. As they walked three wide in the corridor with Okoye trailing just a little behind – more because she would be better able to protect her king from that position than because of any subservience – they discussed the stones, with Tony telling T'Challa as much as he knew about them and where each one was, as far as they knew.

The conversation cut off when they reached their quarters and walked through them, stopping at the open door of the workroom and frowning at what they saw. Groot was sitting in a corner of the room, with Nutmeg on his head and a weird wall of thin branches seemingly holding the kitten in the small area. He was watching Peter and Shuri – at least the adults assumed it was Peter and Shuri, since all they could actually see was a tangle of legs sticking out from under the heavy worktable. From the position of the feet, Peter was on his belly and Shuri was on her back.

"What…" Okoye started to step forward, instantly assuming the worst, but T'Challa held his hand up to stop her, watching.

"It doesn't go in that way, Peter," Shuri's voice could be heard. "Look for the _hole_."

Pepper's expression was a little confused, and Tony's was a mirror of it, but as they watched, a small nut came rolling out from under the table, followed by a few smaller pieces of equipment.

"I think we're going to need to try it in a different position," came Peter's voice. "This isn't going to work."

Tony stepped forward, with Pepper and T'Challa following. All of them stopped near the feet.

"Do we even _want_ to know what's going on under that table?" he asked, and heard a thump that sounded like someone bumping their head. Which was followed by a decidedly feminine giggle as the feet went still and several more screws and bolts went scattering out from under the table.

"_Ouch_."

"You okay?" asked Peter's voice.

"Did you know they were coming?"

"I felt them, yeah."

"You could have _warned_ me."

"You had my nuts in your hand. I didn't want you to drop them."

Tony reached down and took hold of Peter's feet and pulled his son out from under the table with an easy motion. Sure enough, the boy was on his stomach, fully dressed, and holding a multi-tool in one hand and a diagnostic reader in the other. Peter rolled over, looking up at them, while T'Challa gave his sister a similar helping hand, pulling her out from under the table as well. She was rubbing her head, and holding a small bag of nuts and bolts.

"What are you _doing_?" Tony asked, curiously.

Peter got to his feet, easily, and T'Challa hauled his sister to hers.

"We were discussing how we want to affix the pulse cannons to –"

"The _rail guns_," Peter corrected.

She rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"The _rail guns_ to the roof of the compound – and where. Peter was showing me how the table is held in place, and demonstrating the same configuration could be used with the cann – _rail gun_ couplings."

"It'll give us a 180-degree range of fire," Peter said. "It was either go under the table, or up onto the roof and I didn't think T'Challa would appreciate me dragging Shuri up there."

Tony shook his head, now amused more than anything and smirking at the expression on Pepper (and Okoye's) faces.

"What are we learning?"

"Knocking the monsters out of the sky isn't going to be an issue," Peter told him, looking impressed. "Keeping them form hurting anyone when they come down is _going_ to be, though. We'll want to have them as far out as possible when they get taken out."

"Presuming any come," Okoye said.

"_Something_ will come," Peter told her. "Whatever it is – creature or spaceship – Shuri's rail guns are incredible. They won't have a chance."

"Good." Tony was glad the boy was so confident, although he knew that there was such a thing as being too confident. Cockiness wasn't one of Peter's traits, though, so if he thought they had a chance to take down flying invaders, then they probably did. "We're done with our briefing. Why-"

Peter suddenly looked up, drawing everyone's attention to the ceiling, even though there wasn't anything to see.

"_Incoming, boss…"_ Friday alerted him, just as Peter looked over at him.

"What is it?" Tony asked – Friday _or_ Peter.

"Carol's back," Peter told him.


	24. Chapter 24

Tony nodded, feeling a slight surge of dread – or maybe seeing the expression on Peter's face and translating it into such. Either way, he replied to Friday.

"If she isn't already heading that way, ask her to meet us in the lounge," he requested. "And tell Steve, Nick, Natasha and Clint that we'd appreciate it if they would assemble there, as well."

"And the guardians," Peter added.

They seemed to have some kind of affinity for this Xandar place, after all.

"And our guests," Tony added, knowing Friday would take care of it. He looked at T'Challa. "Coming?"

"Of course." The young king hesitated, though, looking at his sister. "I do not know if-"

"Oh, I am going to go, as well, brother," she interrupted. "If this is an indication of what is to come, then I need to hear for myself the aftermath of these power stones. It will be the best way for me to judge if the shield I am creating with Peter will be strong enough or if we should take the time to produce something even more powerful."

T'Challa looked at Stark, who shrugged.

"She's your sister," he pointed out, telling him as simply as he could that it was his call. "But she has a point."

Besides, Shuri was cool and calm most of the time, and would be a good steadying influence for Peter, who was a heatsink of uncertainty at the best of times.

"Fine."

They all headed for the lounge, then, with Peter and Groot walking with Pepper. She frowned, looking up at the kitten still trapped within the small branches – although he didn't look to be in any distress.

"How did you do that?" she asked the tree, directly.

"I am groot."

Rather than wait for Peter to translate, he held up his hand and immediately little wooden tendrils began growing, literally branching out, smoothly, like fingernails growing at an impossible rate. Then they retracted back, and the tree looked at her, growing the area around the kitten just a little.

"That's amazing," Pepper said, making Groot smile.

They didn't have time for any other conversation, then, because a happy bark drew their attention as Steve and Jack came around the corner in the corridor, pausing when he saw them heading his direction.

"Carol's back?"

"So we're told," Tony confirmed. "I asked Friday to point her to the lounge."

"I'll walk with you, then."

They weren't too far away by then, but they picked up Clint on their way and when the small group entered the lounge, they saw Carol was just sitting down at the table in the corner, and everyone headed that direction. Behind them, Quill and Gamora were walking in, as well, Drax and Mantis not there but Rocket entering with Strange, Natasha and Wong.

"You okay?" Steve asked, before anyone else could, as they drew close to Carol.

She forced a smile, but Peter wasn't the only one to see her expression look somewhat bleak.

"It's not pretty," she said, and Steve went to the bar while the others all sat down or gathered around to stand near at hand. They were all silent, though, waiting for everyone to show up before actually starting. Drax walked in just as Steve returned to the table, setting a cup of something warm in front of her.

"It's tea," he told her, unnecessarily. "With honey and a little lemon."

"Thank you."

Natasha glanced at Steve and then Carol, but didn't say anything, and Peter heard a purely mental snort of amusement in the back of his mind, but Alec didn't say anything.

"What did you find?" Quill asked, impatiently.

"The planet's been decimated," she said. "There were plenty of people who had been off world when Thanos came, but they had a few satellites in position to record what happened and when I arrived they were willing to show me – although they didn't share the footage, and I can't blame them."

"What happened?" Tony asked, reaching silently for Pepper's hand under the table.

"A massive army came, with Thanos in the vanguard – surrounded by an array of creatures. Thanos demanded the stone and they refused. There was an exchange of words, a threat of decimating the planet and the populace with the still arriving army. He apparently gave them a sample of what resistance would give them and took out three major cities." She glanced at Tony. "They unleashed these creatures, Tony… they tore – literally – through the population, and didn't differentiate between who was being killed. Whoever was guarding the stone handed it over, and Thanos recalled the army – and the creatures."

"That's awful," Rocket said, softly.

"He put the stone in a metallic glove of some kind on his hand, and when his army was out of the way he unleashed the stone onto the planet."

"How long ago was that?"

"A few weeks ago, now."

Tony looked over at Peter, obviously doing the math and thinking back to the day that they'd discussed what Peter had mentioned having a dream about one of the stones being angry.

"So he is collecting the infinity stones…" Gamora said, softly.

"I'd say so, yes," Carol agreed. "And without remorse."

"We need to get Vision and Wanda here, Tony," Stephen said, looking concerned. And with good reason, since he was keeper of one of the stones, and it was obvious that the stone's very presence was going to put the planet in danger. "The Mind stone is in danger, and we're better off with Vision close by where we can protect him – and it."

The billionaire looked at Peter.

"Can you handle that?"

Meaning was he going to be alright with the Mind stone so close and for an unknown length of time.

"_You'll be fine_," Alec told Peter, confidently, who nodded.

"Yeah."

"We still don't know that he's coming here, next," Tony reminded them. "There are other stones out there that he's looking for."

"Did anyone warn Thor, yet?" Pepper asked, reminding them all that she was paying attention to where all the locations of the stones were.

"Not, yet."

"I will handle that," Wong assured them.

"He comes by portal though, if he comes," Tony reminded him. "If you're willing. I don't want the Bifrost anywhere near us."

Near _Peter_, was more the case, but it amounted to the same thing.

Wong nodded his agreement, but didn't say anything.

"Your stone is safe?" Clint asked Strange.

"It's buried in the sanctum, and will stay there – for now."

"And if Thanos comes?"

"He doesn't know the Time stone is on the planet," Tony pointed out. "I'm more worried about this prophesy, really, and Thanos finding out about it. If he comes here," and they all knew Tony was convinced that he was going to. "Then he's going to be looking for _Peter_, not for any stones – at least not yet."

"We need to be ready," Danvers said. "I'm not going to let him do to Earth what he did to Xandar."

"Agreed," Natasha said, and the others nodded their agreement, expressions once more ranging from worried to resolute.

"Yeah." Tony looked at Steve. "The military liaisons are on their way?"

They had to let the military know what was going on, after all. They were going to be important to providing the numbers to offset the massed army that Carol warned them about.

"They'll be here by morning."

"You'll handle them?"

"Of course."

"Alright. Peter and Shuri are talking rail guns for the compound," he said. "No offense to them, but I'd rather someone with a little more experience with field of fire was in charge of actual decisions on where to place them for best effect."

"We'll take care of it." Steve looked at Quill, Gamora and Drax. "You know what he has better than anyone. Can we pick your brains?"

"I'm not going to-"

Gamora put her hand up to stop Drax's automatic refusal, knowing that the turn of phrase Rogers used would confuse things.

"Yes. We'll help wherever we can."

They wanted Thanos to fall, as well, of course, and Earth seemed to be their best bet.

Peter's phone rang, then, and he glanced at it, but turned it off. At Pepper's questioning look he shrugged.

"It's Ned. I'll call him, later."

"You guys good with the shield, still?" Tony asked Shuri.

"We are."

"Let Friday know if you need anything."

That was clearly a dismissal, but neither teen was offended. They were being trusted to work on an important part of the compound's defense, and were determined to make sure they did it right.

Tony, of course, was more concerned with keeping Peter occupied at the same time. The shield was important, of course, and Peter and Shuri were a perfect team to work on it, but if Peter was busy, then he wasn't going to stress. If Peter wasn't stressing, then _Pepper_ wasn't going to be stressing, as much, either. Which was all to the good.

They all watched as Peter and Shuri left, once more with Groot going with them, and then Tony turned his attention to Carol.

"You look beat. Get some rest, okay?"

She rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"Yes, dad."

Which made Tony smile.

He could live with that.


	25. Chapter 25

"Did you tell Ned what is happening?" Shuri asked.

"No, and I can't."

"Why?"

"Because he'll tell someone else, and _they_ will tell someone, and on and on and then there will be a panic. A lot of people could get hurt – and we don't even know that this Thanos is really coming."

"But you think that he is."

Peter nodded.

"Let's just say that I _expect_ him to."

No sense _in_ letting her know how little he trusted the universe to leave him alone and let him be happy like he finally was.

"_You are far too young to be so jaded,"_ Alec told him.

_"You disagree?"_

"_No, I think that Gamora is certain he's coming, and she knows him best. He's coming. Eventually. But there's no reason to believe that you're not going to be ready for him. You have a lot of power, Peter, and a lot of powerful allies and friends. Thanos is going to find your planet and her people a large bite to chew when he comes."_

It wasn't the first time that Alec had worked on reassuring and bolstering Peter from the inside, while Pepper, Tony, Natasha and the others worked the same task from the outside.

"Are you going to call him?" Shuri asked, unaware of the conversation going on in Peter's head.

"Yeah, I need to. If I don't, he's going to call me, tomorrow, anyway when I don't show up in school."

"What will you tell him?"

"That something has come up and Tony needs me to stay here." Peter shrugged. "He'll understand. It's _MJ_ who will be difficult."

"Because she already worries about you doing dangerous things?" She asked, proving that she was spending enough time talking to Peter's friends – now her own, as well – that she was learning how they felt about being friends with a superhero in training.

MJ didn't handle it anywhere near as well as Ned did. Ned was excited about what Peter did. MJ was afraid.

"Right. Not to mention, I asked her to Homecoming, and now it's not looking like I'll get to go."

Shuri knew him well enough to know how much he enjoyed formal dances, and her expression was sympathetic, even while he tried to hide the disappointment he was feeling about the whole thing.

"I'm sorry."

He gave her a wry smile. Pouting and brooding weren't really in his nature. He worried; he didn't sulk.

"It's okay. Really. It's like Tony says; I can't risk anything happening while I'm at school and having this guy come looking for me there. He could hurt them all – or worse. Not to mention, if he knew they were my friends, he could use that against me."

It wasn't that much different from being careful about other bad guys, really, and Peter had learned that lesson the hard way, but had definitely learned it. The caution was something that kids his age normally didn't have to deal with, but he figured it was a small price to pay to have the love and support that came with being Tony's son.

"Maybe they can have a dance, here?"

Which elicited another shrug, but a smile for her effort to make him feel better. She was a good friend to him, and he knew it.

"Homecoming with the Avengers? We'll see."

"I would come," she assured him. "If you invited me."

"Consider yourself invited."

They grinned at that and then went to work on the shield, leaving the ail gun problem for the moment, since they were going to have to wait for someone else – Steve or one of the specialists – to decide _where_ to put the cannons to give the best coverage of defense.

OOOOOO

Tony was in the gym, again. Pepper had left him soon after the debrief with Carol, telling him that she was going back to looking at the new suit and studying the manual so that by the time it was done, she'd be ready to try it out – under the careful tutelage of her husband to make sure that she didn't have any of the initial hiccups that he had when he'd been learning to be Ironman.

At the moment, though, he and T'Challa were talking to Stephen and Natasha – who were getting ready to go to Asgard, uninvited, since they really didn't have a good way to summon Thor, or to communicate with him. There was always a chance that they could run into someone who didn't know who they were, or just plain wasn't pleased with the idea of someone waltzing into their world without an invitation. Which was why Natasha and Strange were both going.

They worked well as a team, after all, and Stephen was powerful, while Natasha was deadly and adept at reading a situation and determining what the next step needed was going to be – if they needed to show force, or negotiation. In this instance, it was just as important that she knew Thor as well as any of the people on earth did – and more than almost all of them. She was the perfect choice to inform him of what was going on, and Stephen was a good choice to support her, since he was willing.

"Need anything?"

She smiled, used to the way that he micromanaged and helicopter controlled everything that went on around him. It never ceased to amaze her that he was able to focus on so many different things that were going on around him – something that he perfected using the Ironman suit.

"We'll be fine, Tony. Keep an eye on Peter. Don't let him get too distracted that he doesn't eat or sleep."

"I'll take care of it. Don't let Thor bring his stone here, alright? The last thing we need is a beacon for trouble."

"Right." Strange gave him a look; a mix of amusement and impatience, and the cloak waved Stark away, which amused everyone watching, despite the seriousness of their mission. "You know; Carol might be right when she called you dad…"

Tony shrugged.

"It comes with maturity," he said, pompously. "_You_ wouldn't know anything about that."

Strange rolled his eyes, but Natasha smiled.

"We won't be any longer than necessary."

"Right." He trusted her, and she knew it. "Keep whatshisname here out of trouble, will you?"

"Of course."

They watched while Stephen created the portal, waited to make sure a charging army of Asgardians didn't come rushing through it, and then waited until they were gone and the portal was closed. Tony looked at T'Challa.

"I'm going to go look at rail gun placement. Coming?"

"Yes."

OOOOOOO

Titans didn't require a lot of rest. Not only was that convenient for someone with the goals that Thanos had, but it was also a form of self-defense, since sleeping made someone vulnerable. Even someone as massive and deadly as Thanos. He did take times when he would meditate, however, and clear his mind. His ambitions required the death of countless peoples and worlds and even someone as merciless as he was still needed a chance – occasionally – to clear his head and his heart after doing something particularly abhorrent.

At the moment, he was quiet for another reason, entirely. The hand that held the gauntlet was almost constantly aching. There had been an initial surge of agony when he'd attached the stone to it; an agony that had been almost ecstasy, as well, and it had calmed to something more bearable. But it still ached, and he thought that he could almost feel the fury in the stone that he now controlled.

With his 'children' standing guard close at hand, Thanos actually closed his eyes. His mind cleared, and the ache in his hand – which coursed upward through to his elbow – was more bearable, he pondered the mystery of the prophesy that he'd been made aware of. Somewhere out in the vast expanse of the universe was the answer to his search for the stones.

If he could find this boy, he would have a guide to all of the stones. The boy could show him where the stones were. Could aid him in his quest. He just needed to know where the boy was – and how to recognize him when the world he was on was almost certainly populated with thousands, hundreds of thousands, of people. How did he know him? It would be a waste if he were to kill him, accidently, before he was able to use him. The fact that he might have been on one of the worlds that his children had already decimated didn't even concern him.

The universe wanted him to save it, he knew.

As if to confirm that, there was a sudden image in his mind. An image of a boy. A human boy, with pale, pale skin and brown hair.

A surge of excitement coursed through him, even as he wondered where the child was. No sense knowing the who if he couldn't know the where. He grunted, as his mind was suddenly filled with other images. Another stone. Connected to the boy, just as the prophesy said. The stone knew the boy. Even the stone in the glove on his hand seemed to react to the image in his mind.

Thanos opened his eyes, a smirk of satisfaction on his face – an expression that told those who knew him best (and there were very few) that he was suddenly at his most dangerous. He got up and walked over to his lieutenants, who looked at him with fear, waiting for his instructions.

"Find out where Earth is," he ordered.

"And destroy it?"

"No, Maw," Thanos said. "We're going to go and find the boy that I need."

"He's on earth?"

"Yes. Gather the armies, find the coordinates we need, and keep me apprised."

"I will."

"Don't take too long," Thanos said. "The universe is in a hurry for me to save her."


	26. Chapter 26

T'Challa couldn't stay. He was king, after all, and had a lot of other things that needed his attention. When he and Tony (and Okoye) stopped in at the workroom, next, Shuri and Peter were manipulating some data fields, heads together in front of a display, while Peter's hand was moving, swiping first one set of variables, and then moving them to make room for another.

"They are certainly well-matched, aren't they?" Tony asked, feeling a surge of pride at the fact that Peter was smart enough to keep up with someone as intelligent as Shuri.

T'Challa smiled.

"Do not say that around my mother, Tony. She is already interested in stealing your son, and reminds me, almost daily, that I can be replaced."

Stark chuckled at that.

"Mom's are like that, I suppose." They moved into the room, catching the teens' attention. "How's it going in here, kids?"

"The shield is ready, Tony," Shuri told him.

"So soon?"

She smiled, pleased by the fact that he looked impressed. There were very few people that Shuri looked up to, intellectually, and Tony Stark was right at the top of that short list. She'd always been a fan, of course – the guy was _Ironman_, after all – but now that she'd met him and had spent time with him in a regular setting, she was even more amazed by his intelligence and sense of humor. Not to mention just how nice he was, really.

And Peter was basically a mini me of his, in pretty much every way.

"It isn't as if I had to start from the beginning," she pointed out. "The technology is already there. Now it is just a matter of deciding how you want to arrange it, and where the points of contact will be – and who has the authorities to raise and lower it."

"And do we want our shield to have sectors?" Peter added. "Like the Wakandan shield does. Theirs is a fair bit larger than ours is going to be, so that's pretty much going to be up to you and the others, to decide."

"Once you do, it will be a simple matter to set up each point – although it will require actually going out to that particular place to install it."

Tony shook his head.

"So, let me talk to Steve and Nick about that, and I'll let you know."

"I am going home," T'Challa told his sister. "Do you need to stay?"

"Yes." She smiled at her friend. "Not that Peter couldn't do the installation himself, but I would feel better if I was here to assist."

"So would I," Peter admitted. "She's more familiar with the technology than I am."

"If you're almost done, here," Tony said. "Why don't you guys call it a night? It's dinner time, and you've been working pretty steady. Do something more relaxing for a while so your mom doesn't come looking for me talking about child labor laws?"

T'Challa smiled, but his sister was an independent young woman, and he didn't say anything, knowing that Tony had a better chance of making her listen to him than he did.

"I am going home," he repeated. "Do not make me send mother to come talk to you."

He and Tony left, since Wong was waiting to portal him and Okoye back to Wakanda, and Shuri looked at Peter and Groot.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Would he really tell Pepper to come make you stop working?"

"He probably wouldn't _need_ to," Peter pointed out. Pepper already had the mom instincts going all out when it came to Peter. "We can stop for a while, though." Now that he wasn't focusing on the shield tech, he was aware of being hungry. "Let's teach Groot how to play chess."

She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not that good."

"I'll teach him, you just need to play me."

"I am groot?"

"It's great," Peter assured him. "You'll like it. I won a jet, once, playing it."

Shuri smiled.

"He didn't get to _keep_ it, though."

"Come on," Peter said, reaching up and plucking Nutmeg from Groot's head. "Pepper likes to eat in the lounge, so we'll make sure we're there when she comes looking for us."

OOOOOOO

"What are you playing?"

Peter looked over at Rocket, who was fairly silent on his feet (not surprising, since they were soft little paws) but still hadn't actually managed to sneak up on him – even though Shuri and Groot both looked surprised by his seemingly sudden appearance.

"I am groot."

"What do you mean _it's complicated_?" the racoon asked. "That doesn't mean anything. If _you_ can learn it, I can, too."

Quill had walked up the table only a few steps behind Rocket, and Gamora was with him. Drax and Mantis were at the bar, Peter saw, talking to Clint and Steve. Tony and Pepper hadn't made an appearance, yet, but Peter expected them any time, really.

"Oh, _chess_." His eyes lit up. "I've played that. My grandpa taught me."

"I am groot?"

"No, my grandpa. My _mom's_ dad," he told the young tree. Then he looked at Peter, hopefully. "Can I play winner?"

"Sure."

"Just don't let him con you into wagering anything," a new voice said, as Tony and Pepper walked up to the table, holding hands. "He hustled me out of a camping trip, once."

"I didn't _hustle_ you," Peter corrected, smiling a greeting to Pepper. "You wanted to _wager_. I'm always willing to play for fun."

"It isn't fun if you're not gambling on the outcome," Rocket said, still eyeing the board, obviously interested in learning the game. "What are you and Groot betting?"

"Nothing," Shuri replied for him, holding Nutmeg, who was sleeping in her arms, purring on every exhale. "Groot is still new at the game and Peter would not take advantage. He is just teaching him the moves and how to play."

"We have another board," Pepper told Quill. "If you want to play, I'll play with you after dinner."

"What about me?" Rocket asked.

"I'll teach you," Tony offered.

Rocket looked at Peter.

"Is he any good?" he asked the boy, skeptically.

Peter smirked.

"He has his moments."

Tony rolled his eyes, amused.

"Finish your game and come eat."

"Okay."

OOOOOO

_The being was immense. Ancient, and radiating power, it held not one infinity stone in its hands, but actually had two; one in each hand. The colors made it easy to see which ones they were, and Peter saw that the Mind stone was in its right hand and the Time stone was in its left._

_"What is it?"_

_"Watch," said a soft voice._

_Peter shivered, and turned his attention back to what he was being shown. There was a flare of green, and suddenly it seemed everything was going in fast forward. Extreme fast forward. Planets were forming, and exploding, but so quickly that it wasn't even the same as when Peter had had the scary dreams. It was too fast for him to keep track of what was going on._

_Then a stoppage. Things slowed down. A blue and white world appeared, and an armada of ships appeared. A strange creature; humanoid but larger than any Peter had seen. A battle – and Peter recognized the shield that was being attacked by a vast army, and the city that the shield was protecting. He recognized Thor. He saw Steve, and T'Challa – and even Wanda. The battle was waged, and suddenly the battle was lost in a flash of every color. Vision sprawled lifelessly on the ground, his head mutilated, Wanda thrown back, and Thor throwing his hammer – only it was an axe that he wielded._

_A smirk, despite the terrible wound in its chest, and the creature raising its hand, showing the gauntlet with every colored stone on it. A snap of its fingers, and the world lurched, the stones blazed, furious, but focused in the touch of the being that held them._

_Peter quailed from the sight as he watched people that he knew – and a multitude of those that he didn't – all turning to dust._

_"This must not be," the voice said into Peter's mind. Into his dream. "Watch, son of the man of Iron."_

_As Peter watched, the time stone flared, again, and brilliant green filled his vision until he blinked his eyes clear and found the original being still holding both stones; one in each hand. Again, time moved forward. Again, it seemed as if countless eras passed in only moments, until once more there was an armada of ships around the small blue and white world._

_This time, however, it wasn't Wakanda that was being attacked, and this time the vast army was facing one that wasn't as large – nothing was as large – but was much better prepared than what he'd seen before. The battle waged, and Peter watched – and saw a form standing on the roof of the compound. Flanked by the Ironman suit and another suit of blue and silver, covered in black and holding – impossibly – a somewhat orange colored stone that Peter knew instinctively was the soul stone._

_The creature came, again, as it had in the other vision, only this time there was only one stone on the gauntlet on its hand. Peter saw the black-clad form leap effortlessly from the protections around him and go to face it._

_Then the vision stopped, flaring once more a brilliant green as he was once more brought back to the beginning of time._

_"Wait… what happens?" Peter asked. "Do we win?"_

_"The universe does," came the somewhat evasive answer. "Because of you. Thanos is coming, and he must find you."_

_"But…"_

_"You're the hope of not only your own world, but all of the rest."_

_Peter felt himself shudder, and the vision faded, leaving him alone._

_"Not alone," Alec told him, speaking up for the first time since the dream started._

"That was _scary_…"

_"I know. Go find Tony and Pepper. They'll keep you safe."_

He did what he was told, not stopping to find clothes and not even close to being awake.

OOOOOO

_"Peter just entered – never mind."_

Friday's warning was unnecessary, as Pepper and Tony both felt the boy joining them, climbing silently in between them, shivering, either with fear or with cold; it was hard to tell with him. Pepper murmured something soothing and flipped a blanket up over him, while she and Tony pressed up against him, sharing their body heat and comforting him. Tony opened his eyes, but Peter's were closed, and then he lost sight of them, completely, when he tucked his face against the man's shoulder, his hand finding Pepper's and holding it, tight.

He didn't say anything, though, and without any further ado, he went to sleep, tucked safely between them.


	27. Chapter 27

"Do we wake him?"

Tony looked at the boy who was sleeping beside him. Peter had one arm literally hooked around Tony's, holding him close as he slept. His face was buried against the billionaire's side, so they couldn't see if his expression was pained, or troubled – but both suspected that it probably was.

It had been a long time since Peter had come to their bed, after all, so it must have been something serious. Or scary. Or _both_.

"No." Tony had tried twice to ease his arm from Peter's embrace, but each time the boy had held tight, even asleep. "If he needs to be here this badly, I'm not in any hurry to make him move."

"I wish I knew what happened…" Pepper said, worried.

"He can tell us when he wakes up." Tony shrugged. "You're not going to the tower?"

She nodded.

"I _am_. Not until he wakes up, though, and I know that he's alright. There are a few meetings that I have to attend. I'll start warning people that I might be in and out a little more frequently, though, in the near future."

"You know we can't tell them what's happening, right?"

She rolled her eyes.

"None of them would believe me, if I did." She leaned over, careful not to bump their son and maybe wake him. "We're going to keep these things from the city, though, right?"

"Yeah. We're not going to have a repeat of the battle of New York. Not if we can avoid it."

"We _can_," Peter said, suddenly, not moving his face from Tony's side, but still understandable.

Tony felt him tremble, and he frowned down at him, even though he couldn't see his face.

"You okay?"

"No. I'm scared."

Pepper leaned over, pressing her hand against Peter's back.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"I saw what happened," Peter said to them.

"To Xandar?" Tony asked.

"To _Wakanda_."

Tony pulled back, now, pretty much forcing Peter to look up at him, which he did.

"What do you mean, you saw what happened to Wakanda? Did _something_ happen?"

"It wasn't _here_," Peter told him, realizing that he wasn't making much sense. Of course, he'd just woken up, too, and was still reeling from the vision that he'd been given. Tony could see the fear in his expressive eyes. "It wasn't even in this _time_, I don't think."

"_This verse…"_ Alec corrected. _"It did happen, I think, but not in your space and time."_

"Start at the beginning, okay?" Tony asked, gently, treating him carefully to make sure he didn't spark a panic attack.

Bolstered by Tony and Pepper on the outside, and Alec on the inside, Peter sat up and told them what he'd seen. And what had been said to him.

"You were on the roof of the compound?" Tony clarified.

"With _you_. I'm not sure who was in the blue and silver."

"Pepper's suit is going to be blue and silver when it's finished manufacturing," Tony told him – and her. Now _he_ looked worried, too.

Peter realized that he had probably not expected Pepper to be part of the upcoming conflict. The suit he was making her had almost certainly been his way to make sure she was clad in metal and protected from injury. Not clad in metal and standing in front of the crazy guy bent on destroying half the universe with a snap of his fingers.

"Then it might have been her."

"Of course it was me," she said, firmly. "Where else would I be? You were holding one of the stones?"

"I think the soul stone."

"That one isn't on earth, though," Tony pointed out. "Are you _sure_ it was you in the black?"

"It was my new suit."

"And it wasn't hurting you?" Pepper asked.

"I don't feel anything in the dreams I have," he reminded her. "It didn't seem to be, though."

"Well, we know the shield works, then," Tony said, trying to look a little less concerned. "That's a start."

"How do you get that stone, though?"

"I'm not sure," Peter admitted. "I didn't see that part."

"Well, it isn't something we can figure out right now," Pepper said. "Maybe one of the others can think of something. Stephen, perhaps."

"Is he back from Asgard, yet?" Peter asked, thinking that the answer was almost certainly no – or he would probably have ended up in _Natasha's_ bed, instead of with Pepper and Tony.

"No," Tony replied. "But I'm not worried."

Thor was an ally, after all.

"Are you feeling better?" Pepper asked her son, her hand brushing his forehead and then his cheek. "Anything we can do?"

Peter shook his head.

"You already did it," he told them, honestly – even though he was pleased that they both looked a little less worried with the comment. Peter didn't feel as afraid, either, in the light of day and tucked between them like he was. "I'm sorry…"

"For coming to our bed?" Pepper asked. "Or not having more information for us? Because you do realize that you have no reason to apologize for any of the rest of it? None of this is on you, after all."

"For worrying you."

"We're getting used to it," Tony told him with a wink and a soft smile that made Peter feel better. "Do you hurt?"

"No."

"Do you need more _sleep_?"

"No. I'm okay."

"Does _Alec_ agree with you?" Pepper asked, archly.

There was a snort of amusement that was purely mental.

"_You're healthy."_

"He says I'm healthy."

"Then get out of my bed and go put some clothes on before Shuri wakes up and comes looking for you," Tony said, ruffling his hair, affectionately. "I don't want any international incidents that I have to try to explain to T'Challa."

"Or to her mother," Pepper added.

Feeling better because they were able to tease him, he did a double-check, really quick, to make sure that he was wearing pants (he was relieved that he actually still had the sweats that he'd been wearing when he went to bed) and then he rolled over Tony and tumbled out of their bed, landing gracefully on his feet.

"Breakfast soon?" he asked.

"I need to wake up, first. Mom's going into the city for a while – do you need anything from the tower?"

Peter felt just a stab of worry, and then realized that he was being stupid. Pepper could go there safely; _she_ wasn't the one who was going to have Thanos coming after her, so there probably wasn't anything dangerous about her being in the city, or at the tower.

"A donut from the shop next door?"

She smiled; as he'd hoped that she would, and nodded.

"That could probably be arranged."

OOOOOO

When he was gone, Tony took a deep breath, that ended in a long, worried sigh.

"Well, that all sounds _horrible_…"

"Because it _is_," she agreed, taking his hand. "What do we do?"

Tony hesitated, forcing himself not to say what he wanted to do, since Pepper would agree with him, and Peter wouldn't. If he had his way he'd lock the boy somewhere deep in the sanctum – maybe in the same room that Stephen had the time stone in – and keep him there while he and the other Avengers took on Thanos without him.

And the prophesy telling him otherwise be damned.

The problem with that, was that Peter wouldn't allow it to happen. Between his own natural tendencies, hanging out with superheroes all day and the values that had been instilled in him even before Tony had ever met him, the boy had a sense of responsibility that wouldn't let him sit back and watch when he could help.

Besides, he could be useful – if they could make sure that he was someplace safe, if – _when_ – this Thanos came looking for him.

Of course, that didn't mean allowing him to stand up on the roof of the compound looking like a giant target, though. They'd have to have a talk before that happened, because Tony's Ironman suit could fly, and the Rescue suit that Pepper was going to have would have the capabilities of flight, but Peter's amazing suit that Shuri had built him was limited to being earthbound, and that meant that there wasn't a way for him to get off the roof quickly, if he needed to do so.

"We do what we've been doing, honey," he said, instead, squeezing her hand. "Do what we can to mitigate damages, and keep him as safe as we can."

"And this stone?"

"Vision and Wanda are coming, today," he reminded her. "Maybe Vision has a thought about that."

He had a stone in his head, after all, and it was tied to the memories of everyone in the universe if Tony understood how it worked. Maybe it would know what the next step was.

She didn't look convinced, and she didn't look any less worried, but she allowed him to kiss her, softly, and then gather her into his arms, stealing some comfort and giving some to her at the same time. Pepper sighed.

"These aren't the teenaged problems that I expected when you first brought up the idea of you adopting him… you _know_ that, right?"

"Under aged drinking, sneaking out for parties and girls…?" Tony guessed.

"Those were up on the list, yes."

"This is Peter, Pep," Tony told her. "A kid as extraordinary as he is isn't going to have something as mundane as a hangover looming over his head."

"If he gets hurt, I'm going to ground him."

Stark smiled.

"I'll make sure that he knows."

OOOOOOO

Peter went to his rooms to change, and walked into a disaster.

"_I should have had you bring him with you…"_

"Yeah."

Nutmeg had clearly not been impressed to wake up and find himself alone in Peter's quarters. Unchaperoned, the kitten had worked his way along every shelf in all three rooms, including the bathroom, and had knocked everything off of each of them. A quick glance into the bathroom showed the toilet paper was shredded and pulled from the roll, left in a pile, and the vibranium polymorph cage that protected Peter's Ironman plush doll had been dragged up onto the sofa – where Nutmeg was pawing at it with one foot, trying to figure out how to free the doll from its confines.

Peter shook his head and scooped the kitten up in one hand and the polymorph with the other, wrestling the doll from one stubborn claw.

"You're a bad kitten," he told him. "You know that, right?"

"_He almost certainly doesn't care,"_ Alec pointed out.

"Probably." Peter looked at the mess. "Karen? Tell Friday to pass word to Tony that I might be late for breakfast and not to worry."

"_You got it."_


	28. Chapter 28

Asgard was just as amazing as it had been the first (and only) time that Natasha and Stephen had been there. Maybe even more so, because they weren't on an urgent mission, this time. Yes, what they were doing was important, especially since there was an infinity stone on Asgard, but there wasn't a time restraint like there had been when Peter had been with them and the magical energies of the place were weighing down on his health.

Thor offered them refreshments and seated them on one of the fur-covered couches, and then listened to what they had to tell him, a frown marring his handsome face almost immediately.

"And this Titan? Does Stark believe he will truly come looking for Peter?"

Another form of growth, since Peter had simply been '_the boy'_ the last time.

"We're working on the assumption that he is," Stephen agreed.

"He won't have a chance," Thor stated, confidently. "Between the technology of his Ironman suit, the magic you and your friends possess, and the rest of the Avengers, it would take an army to even make the threat."

"An army that we know he has," Natasha said. "We've seen it in action, from footage recorded on another world."

"A world that he's subsequently destroyed," Strange added. "With his army and with the power stone."

Thor frowned at the mention of the infinity stone,

"You truly think he could destroy half the universe if he were able to gather all of the stones?"

"He could destroy _all_ of it, most likely," the sorcerer said. "His goal is only to destroy half – to leave more resources for those remaining."

"That's mad."

"Yes," Natasha agreed.

"What do you need from me?"

It wasn't a surprise, really, that he was offering up his help. The Avengers were his allies, after all. He'd assisted them in their battle of New York (and yes, mainly because his brother had brought the wrath of the aliens down on the blue world) but also because he admired the Avengers, and what they stood for.

"We don't really know if we need anything," Natasha admitted. "Right now, we're making sure that those who need to know what's building can be advised, so they can be on guard."

"You have an infinity stone here," Strange pointed out. "That makes your world a target, as well."

"Will he come here, then?" Thor asked, looking almost excited at the thought.

"We think he'll try to get Peter, first," Natasha said. "If Peter can control of the stones, and he has control of Peter, he'll be able to take your stone without much trouble."

Thor scowled at that, brushing his hand along his mighty hammer.

"I'd like to see him try."

"We'd rather he didn't get that far," Strange told him.

"True." He frowned. "We do not have a large standing army as I understand yours to be," the god of thunder told him. "However, we will help where we can. Even more, if you can make a portal between our worlds, Asgard can become a sanctuary if your world falls. You Avengers would be welcome here – and safe."

Romanoff smiled her appreciation of the offer, but knew there wasn't a chance in hell that any of the others would abandon the planet to its fate and be able to live with themselves on Asgard of they did. It was definitely the thought that counted in this instance. She looked at Stephen.

"Can you make a portal like that?" she asked, curiously. "Something that can be opened in the event of a need to clear some people out of the way of the battle – if things go bad? Something anyone can open?"

He nodded, wondering if she was thinking of Peter. _He_ was, after all.

"It's a simple spell. We would also have it in place if the Titan surprises us and comes here, first. If you need to contact us, you'd have instant access."

"You aren't worried about Loki?" Thor asked, curiously. "He could use the portal to cause you mischief."

"If he goes through the portal, it'll land him on Earth – and we've already established that that isn't wise," Strange said, clearly not concerned.

"Not to mention I doubt that he'd ever willingly step through one," Natasha added. "It's a good idea, really."

Stephen nodded his agreement.

"Yes, it is. It'll take me a day or so to set it up. It's simple, but we'll want to make sure the location is in an area on earth – and here – where it isn't going to be in the way or anything else, or in a proposed line of fire."

"We'll tuck it out the back door, or something," Natasha agreed.

"Do you want me to go back with you?" Thor asked, realizing that they had given him all the information that they could, and he had made them the only offer that he could – so far.

"You're always welcome," Natasha reminded him.

He smiled at that, and stood up.

"Next time, perhaps. "I will start gathering my warriors, and will look for a place for you to place the portal."

"Expect myself or Wong sometime within the next 24 hours," Stephen said, also standing. "We'll come here. Unless you have a different preference?"

"Here is fine."

The magician looked at Natasha.

"Are we forgetting anything?"

She shook her head, looking at Thor.

"You need anything?"

"No."

"We'll see you later, then."

Strange offered Natasha his arm, and a moment later they were gone. Thor shook his head, looking at the spot that they had vacated for a moment, and then looked at one of his personal guards.

"Find Heimdall. Tell him I require his assistance."

The large man nodded, and left the room.

OOOOOOOOOO

"What took you so long?" Tony asked, when Peter finally walked into the lounge, Nutmeg tucked under his arm.

"Had to clean my room," the boy replied, settling the kitten up onto his cat tree and smiling a greeting to the others, who were all there.

None of them were smiling, though – even Shuri – which made Peter think that Tony had probably told them about the nightmare that had sent Peter to sleep between Pepper and him.

He took the empty place beside Pepper – which put Shuri on the other side of him.

"What's the plan for today?"

"The military guys should be landing in an hour," Steve said, handing a piece of bacon to Jack, who knew exactly where to sit. The small spot between Shuri and Steve put the little lab in the perfect position to beg shamelessly, using his big brown eyes to remind those two gullible souls that he never had enough to eat and was a growing boy. "We'll want to start discussing the possibility of evacuating the area between here and the city."

"Already?" Quill asked, curiously. "That's a lot of people. Where would they go?"

"We wouldn't move them, yet," Nick said, walking up to the table to stand behind Steve and Carol. "But we'd want to have the action plan in place to do it on short notice."

"What are they going to tell them for a cover story?"

"Probably gas leak, or something…"

"That's a lot of gas leaking…"

"Why not put guns in their hands and have _them_ fight?" Drax asked, curiously.

"Half of them probably already have the guns," Nick replied, easily. "But they're civilians. It isn't their job to fight. Only of the military fails to contain these creatures."

"Vision and Wanda are already making their way this direction," Tony said, glancing at Peter to make sure he was aware of the imminent arrival of the mind stone – just in case Alec needed to prepare or something. "They'll be here by mid morning."

"We will need someone to show us where you want to have the connection points for the shield," Shuri said. "I will lock the locations with GPS, but it would help if there were more than one signal in each spot."

"I'll go with you," Tony told them. "We can do that after I walk Pepper to the garage."

"Can I come?" Peter asked.

"Of course."

OOOOOOO

"Don't forget to stop and eat lunch," Pepper said, leaning on the door of the car, while Happy was already behind the wheel.

Tony nodded, kissing her cheek.

"We won't. I'll make sure Peter has more than a slim jim and a cola."

"It was one time," Peter said, rolling his eyes. "And it was only because I was busy."

"You're not going to be that busy, today," Pepper told him.

"No. We'll eat," he assured her.

"Drive safe, Happy," Tony told the driver, rapping his palm on the roof of the car and stealing another kiss before Pepper got into the car.

He closed the door once she was in, and the two watched the car drive off.

"You're not worried about her?" Peter asked, softly – as if he was afraid Pepper could hear him.

"Of course I am," he replied, nudging Peter when another car moved from the side of the building, following the first. "She's not a target, as far as we know, but I'm not going to allow anyone out of here without a backup car."

"Even Steve?"

"It was his idea."

"What about Carol?"

"Nope. Her, either."

They turned to leave the garage, with Peter sliding his hand along his Pontiac.

"_Nick?"_

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Go see if Shuri's ready, will you? We'll meet you two in the field."

"Yes, sir."


	29. Chapter 29

Tony spent the next forty-five minutes with the two genius teenagers, once more reminded just how brilliant both of them were. Shuri had a device in her hand – a mixture of a GPS tracker, and some other tech that she told him was testing the location she pinged, and would advise if there were any objects that might interfere with the proper initial alignment of the shield when they brought it up.

"So far, though, it looks very promising."

The shield was going to cover more area than Tony had initially assumed. It could be much bigger, Shuri and Peter assured him, but the larger the distance covered, the less power they could command.

"The vibranium is going to be doing the crazy stuff," Peter told him – even though Tony already knew. "Since it can absorb the energy from the shield and reflect it back into itself, it'll magnify the power at a ridiculous amount, making it that much stronger – and not allowing that power to damage any of the relays."

"Because it only lets the power to one side," Shuri added. "Under the vibranium, nothing. On top, the power to light up Wakanda for a century."

"I like it," Tony approved.

It meant that they would be able to protect more area than he'd thought, giving them as much time as they needed to try and negotiate with the madman who thought that destroying half the universe was a good idea.

They were finishing their last relay when Peter turned, looking up at the empty sky. Shuri was looking at her readouts, so she didn't notice, but Tony turned, too, and a moment later saw a tiny dot in the sky, that eventually became a sleek helicopter. Olive green with the white ARMY emblazoned on it, there was no doubt that the military liaisons were arriving.

"That'll be the military guys," Tony said – mostly for Shuri's benefit, since Peter knew what the army's helicopters looked like.

"We are done, here," she said, smiling at him. "I will need a day or so to configure power fluctuation, and make sure that the actual relays are prepared – and protected."

"When will I have my shield, then?" he asked, as they headed back to the compound.

"A couple of days. It could be sooner, but I prefer to do a proper job."

"We prefer that, too," Tony assured her. "Do you need anything?"

"No." she flashed a somewhat apologetic look at Peter. "And I prefer to be _alone_, for this part. It is complicated, and a distraction could be problematic."

Tony chuckled, putting an arm around Peter's shoulders.

"I'll find something for my problematic distraction to do rather than pester you with 'now what are you doing?' and 'how does that work?'."

Peter smiled, too, well aware that he probably would be asking her a million questions – he already had been, after all. It didn't hurt his feelings that she didn't want him in the same room, just then.

"Do you want to come and meet the army guys?"

She shook her head.

"No. I will go to the workroom and begin my calculations."

"Lunch in two hours," Tony told her as he held the door open for them.

She frowned.

"We just had breakfast."

"And it wasn't a lot. Lunch in two hours. If you're late, I'll send the hounds."

Peter smiled.

"That's _Jack_, just so you know. Right now, he's the only hound we have – unless you consider Ironpig."

"Which we do not," the billionaire admitted.

"I will be there," she said, also smiling.

"I'll have Friday give you a reminder." Tony knew it was easy to forget everything around you when working on something that was tricky, or interesting. They stopped in an intersection of two corners. "We'll meet you in the lounge."

"If you need anything, just speak into the air," Peter reminded her. "Friday will replay to Tony and he can tell me."

"Ironman and Spider-man both at my beck and call?" she said, her eyes lit up with amusement (and maybe a little awe). "How lucky can a girl get?"

"We could always send _Steve_," Tony added, well aware of the girl's crush on Rogers.

Sure enough, she blushed – which made him smile.

"I accept."

With a chuckle, she turned one way, and Peter and Tony went the other, knowing that Rogers and Nick – and maybe a few others would meet the military folks at the landing pad and most likely invite them to the lounge, first, for something to refresh themselves before starting on any briefings. With his hand still on Peter's shoulder, that's where they went, as well.

OOOOOOO

The young woman was terrified. And with good reason – although she didn't know it.

Only days before, her master had come to her in the middle of the night. At first she'd been certain that he was walking into her tiny room for another reason, entirely, but had been surprised – and a little confused – when he'd handed her an odd sphere that was somewhat larger than her hand.

"I want you to take this from here," he'd told her.

"Where do you want me to take it, master?" she'd asked, assuming that he simply meant for her to move it to one of the other warehouses that were used to catalogue his infinite collection of items.

"Somewhere far from here," he'd said. "And don't even think of telling me where you're going – or even when you're leaving. There's a small shuttle craft – easily piloted by a single person. Even one as dull as yourself. Take the orb and disappear."

"For how long?"

"Until it's safe."

That had been confusing. Not surprisingly, really. And it had certainly shown on her expression.

"Where do I go?"

"There is a self-contained data base in the shuttle. I don't know any of the destinations within. And I don't want to know. Choose one at random and go there. All the worlds in the data base contain stable atmospheres and are safe. You will need to be careful, though, to hide yourself from any indigenous life forms while you hide."

"I can return, though?"

"Of course, my pretty." He gave her a forced smile. "That stone is one of my prized possessions. I'm going to want it back in my collection. Just not right now."

She had been told to pack a few things that she'd need, and to not tell anyone – including him – when she was leaving, and then he'd left her, holding the sphere and looking around somewhat wildly, trying to decide what to take with her.

Now she was in the emptiness of space. Not truly empty, of course, but terrifyingly huge, and scary to someone who had been around people almost her entire life. She thought that maybe she would die of loneliness long before she reached the random destination she had chosen. It was only two days, now, since she'd snuck away from her chore of dusting displays and had entered the shuttle, leaving without a word to anyone, and she was already feeling the ache of having no one to talk to and very little to do.

The ship took care of her; there was enough food to last a hundred years, and recycled air was something she was familiar with. It was the lack of people to talk to and the fact that she didn't know where she was going, or what would happen when she reached the destination that truly had her afraid. She looked at the orb, once more, wondering what was inside it – or if the orb itself was the Collector's prize – and swallowed hard, before returning her gaze to the display in front of her.

OOOOOOOO

The lounge was almost silent when Tony and Peter arrived.

Not empty. There were several people in it. Four dressed in the crisp green military outfits that Peter recognized as formal army uniforms, several dressed in SHIELD uniforms or a variation of them – including Steve, Carol and Clint – Nick Fury, of course, and Quill, Gamora, Rocket and Groot. Not surprisingly, the newcomers were staring at the guardians – mainly _Rocket and Groot_ – and were having a lot of trouble hiding their silent amazement.

It was almost a standoff, even though Steve had made introductions, already, and the military folk were now aware that the odd people they were still staring at all spoke English. Including the talking racoon and the tree that had introduced itself as Groot and had gone back to petting the kitten that was sitting on its head, seemingly oblivious to the stares.

They all looked over as Peter and Tony entered, and the boy grinned, cheerfully, when he realized that he recognized the military people. Two of them he actually knew by name and the other two he'd seen before.

"Grady!"

The Colonel recognized Peter, too, of course, and he smiled, walking up to meet him and Tony as they crossed the room.

"Peter. I was hoping I'd have a chance to see you."

He offered the boy his hand, and Peter took it, pleased – and then hesitated.

"I didn't _call_ you, did I?"

Grady chuckled – and so did Tony, recognizing the reference.

"Not this time. Which is annoying, by the way – since I know that you know my number. How hard would it be to pick up the phone and call me to say hello? And to invite me over for a weekend of fishing, or something?" The colonel turned to Tony, offering him his hand, as well. "Mr. Stark. Good to see you, again, sir."

"_Tony_," Tony corrected. "You're the liaison, colonel?"

"Part of it," he said, looking at the younger man who was standing next to him, also grinning. "This is-"

"Hey, Lyle." Peter offered the young captain his hand, and it was accepted, immediately.

"Good to see you, again, Peter."

Grady rolled his eyes at the lack of formality.

"This is Lyle Harris. General Baldwin's aide."

"And apparently already acquainted with my son?" Tony asked, offering the captain his hand, as well.

"We met in Phoenix," Peter said, smiling. "He showed me around and hung out with me since the others had to do their parachute thing."

"Good to meet you, captain."

"You, too, Mr. Stark."

"General Baldwin will be our point of contact?" Steve asked, easily joining the conversation.

Lyle nodded.

"He's responsible for the guard troops that are already being called up, and he's the one who will decide how and where to deploy them – and any regular army units."

"We'll have access to any other resources we need," Grady added. "But Lyle here is going to be the one with the direct access to General Baldwin and can save us a lot of go-betweens being here."

"If you tell me that you need it," Harris said, nodding. "I will tell General Baldwin and you'll get it. Immediately."

"We just need to know what you need."

Tony looked at Steve, allowing him to take over the conversation. The military was _Rogers'_ specialty, not Tony's.

"Let's sit down," Steve suggested. "And we'll tell you what we have, so far – and what we're thinking. Then you can let us know what you'd do."

Peter went over to the guardians, who had watched the exchange.

"Do you know everyone?" Rocket asked, as the boy took his kitten when Groot offered him over to him.

"Not everyone," he said, smiling. "They probably brought Grady in because he's worked with the Avengers, before, and won't get too freaked out by you guys."

Gamora nodded her approval of that.

"He didn't run from the room screaming, anyway… that's a start."

Quill agreed.

"They came in a sweet looking helicopter. Think we can go check it out?"

The twelve-year old earthling that had always loved all things GI-Joe as a kid couldn't help but ask – even though he was an adult and much more experienced, now.

"I don't see why not," Nick said as he was getting ready to go join the briefing, and knew that they didn't all need to be there if they didn't want to be. "Don't touch anything that you shouldn't."

Quill left, with Rocket and Groot trailing him, but Gamora stayed, more interested in seeing what the newcomers would have to offer their situation.

"Where are Drax and Mantis?" Peter asked her, ignoring Nutmeg's paw that was suddenly interested in trying to go up his nostril.

"Drax learned of your Quinjet simulator and wanted to try it out. I think Mantis is just keeping him company to be apart from too many people, at once."

"Is she okay?"

Gamora smiled at the genuine concern she heard in Peter's tone.

"She's fine. She's just not used to new people, really. Let's go join the conversation, shall we? I'm curious what they can do."

"It's the army," Peter said. "They can do a lot."


	30. Chapter 30

"Hey Leeds, Where's Penis?"

Ned scowled, looking over at Flash.

"What do you care?"

"I want to talk to him. Where is he?"

MJ, who had been sitting next to Ned during lunch, frowned. They'd been discussing the fact that Peter wasn't in school and had been comparing notes, since their friend had called both of them, but hadn't done more than simply tell them that he wasn't going to be in school, but that he wasn't hurt or anything. It was an _Avenger_ thing, but something that he couldn't tell them about, just yet."

"What do you want to talk to him about?"

"None of your business."

"Then we don't know where he is, do we?" she retorted, making Ned smile.

MJ wasn't a fan of Flash's, after all, and she didn't bother to hide the fact. Even better, Flash was intimidated by her and he and she both knew it.

"My dad is in the Army National Guard," Thompson said, abruptly. "He's a surgeon."

Of course. What else would he be doing?

"Good for him."

"So?" Ned added, a little curious, since Flash wouldn't be sharing that information if it didn't mean something.

"So he was warned that he's going to be called up. As a supernumerary commander and as a surgeon."

"So?"

"So he wasn't supposed to say anything, but I heard him tell my mother that they're sending all the medical personnel north. Since the only things up north are Canada and the Avengers, I wanted to ask Parker what's going on with his Avenger buddies."

"What makes you think he'd tell _you_?" MJ asked. "Even if there was anything _to_ tell?"

Flash scowled.

"Where is he?"

"He's _out_," Ned told him.

"We'll make sure to let him know you asked for him," MJ said.

The boy gave them both another annoyed look and walked off, muttering to himself, and the two watched him go.

"Peter didn't tell you what's going on?" MJ asked, again, well aware that if Peter was going to tell anyone, it would have been _Ned_.

Peter's best friend shook his head, looking worried.

"No. I'm going to call him, again, tonight – just to check on him. I'm _sure_ he's okay, though. He _sounded_ okay."

She didn't look convinced, but it didn't help that _Ned_ didn't, either.

OOOOOOOOO

The briefing with the military liaisons was kept in the lounge. There wasn't really any point in taking it to a briefing room or a conference room. The only people in the lounge were those who already knew what was going on – bartender and waitstaff included – and the chairs were just as comfortable. Peter sat beside Tony and had Gamora a seat away on the other side, but he didn't add anything to what was being said.

He was just watching. Keeping his mouth closed and his eyes open, as May used to tell him all the time.

Grady and Lyle both listened with excusable disbelief to what they were being told, and then a lot of uncertainty when the footage that had been furnished by the guardians was watched. More than once, despite how disturbing it was. Peter could tell that Grady was already looking for weaknesses in the massive army of creatures he was looking at – and hadn't seen any.

"These things can be killed, though?" he asked, looking at Tony – and at Gamora.

"Yes. They overwhelm with sheer numbers, more than anything – although they are dangerous, of course."

"We've handled equally awful in New York," Steve said, almost before Tony said the exact same thing. "And we're more prepared – with more allies, this time."

"You guys have to keep the civilian population safe," Tony said "Even better, figure out a way to move the ones in this general area and then make a line to keep these things from reaching New York. We-"

He was interrupted when Peter looked toward the door and was almost immediately captured in the excited grasp of the Cloak of Levitation, which had swooped in well ahead of Strange and Natasha, and had immediately found Peter, wrapping him up and excitedly rubbing against his cheek.

The newcomers stared – and Grady even made half a reach toward his side – although Tony knew he wasn't holding a side-arm. It had probably been automatic.

"What is-" Lyle's question was interrupted when Stephen and Natasha reach the table, and Tony stood – as did all the men, in deference to Romanoff.

"You're back?" Tony asked, rhetorically.

Strange nodded.

"Yes."

Natasha smiled at Grady.

"Colonel Gradymatson. You're the liaison?"

"I am." He offered her his hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Agent Romanoff."

"You, too." She smiled at Peter, who was still struggling a little with the cloak. The ancient relic seemed particularly concerned about Peter, and the boy was trying to calm it down. "Good choice."

"You remember Captain Harris?" Steve asked, making the introductions, and aware that Romanoff had met them both in Phoenix.

She nodded a hello and then introduced Stephen to them, as well.

"You delivered our message to Thor?" Nick asked.

"Yes. His stone is buried in Odin's vault, deep within Asgard."

"That's a good place for it," Tony said, glancing at Peter, who didn't catch the look. "How did he react to the Thanos thing?"

"Said to bring him on," Romanoff replied, shrugging. "You know how he is. He did offer up Asgard as a bolt hole, though. In case things go badly, he said they'd take refugees."

"Asgard isn't that big," Tony said, but he nodded. "It's nice of him, though."

"We're going to set up a portal," Strange told him. "Something that can be triggered by a non-magic user."

"A Muggle?" Lyle asked – which made Peter smile, although very few of them caught the reference.

"Magic?" Grady echoed. "What do you mean?"

The Avengers looked at Strange, who scowled, slightly, and then shrugged. True, it was his secret to tell – if he wanted to – and he didn't really _want_ to tell it. But the military – at least the ones that were going to be at the compound – probably needed to know everything that the Avengers would be able to use in their defense of the compound, and magic was almost certainly going to play a part of that.

"I'll explain that, later," he finally said. "Is your shield up?"

"It's in its final finishing stage."

"If Thanos uses the power stone, no shield is going to help your world," Gomora pointed out. "Nothing can stand against its power, unleashed."

"Then we have to keep it leashed," Tony said. "Or use our stones to overpower him and take the one that he has."

"It doesn't work that way," she told him, as Strange and Natasha seated themselves, and the others resumed their chairs. "Each stone is the embodiment of a different aspect of the universe. One can't control another."

"So these stones… You mentioned that we have some?" Grady said, looking at Tony. "Where are they?"

"We have access to the mind stone and the time stone," Tony replied. "Thanos has the power stone. Thor's stone on Asgard is the space stone."

"That leaves reality and soul," Stephen said. "The Collector holds the reality stone. Wong hasn't been able to locate the soul stone's whereabouts, as of yet."

"He won't, either," Gamora said. "No one knows where it is."

Peter suddenly had a flash of a dark world with high peaks, and heard Alec whistle, softly, in his mind.

"_Oh boy…"_

Since it almost certainly wasn't a phrase used by aliens who only spoke in each other's minds, he assumed the phrase was one he'd caught from Peter. The boy looked sharply at Gamora, and she glanced over at him – suddenly looking concerned.

"_She knows where it is,"_ Peter said to the alien in his mind.

"_Yeah."_

"_I know, too. Did you pull it from her mind?"_

"_The mind stone did. I don't work in visuals like that – you know that."_

"_True."_

But now he had a name to go with the visual – and Peter suddenly felt a sense of dread that made him pale.

Everyone else had glanced at Peter when Gamora did, and none of them missed the way that he went white. So quickly that Tony actually reached for him, afraid that he was going to pass out or something.

"What's wrong?" his father asked him, concerned.

"I…"

"_Don't even _say_ it aloud,"_ Alec warned. _"Not to everyone."_

"Nothing…" Peter lied – and did it, poorly. "I'm… I don't know."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. It's… I'm okay." He saw that none of them looked convinced – including Grady and Lyle. Everyone was looking at him, and the cloak suddenly shifted on him, until it was completely blocking his head, face and all, and was crooning encouragement to him. "I need to go lie down, I think…"

Peter stumbled to his feet, feeling lighter than normal and aware that the cloak was keeping him steady simply by taking his weight. The fabric moved enough that he was able to see where he was going, and he headed for the exit and left without another word. He heard the scraping of a chair and didn't need to look behind him to know that Tony was going to follow him.

Sure enough, running feet caught up to him, immediately.

"Hey?"

Peter stopped, turning to look at him, his eyes wide with fear and consternation.

"I'm sorry." He knew that it was rude to just leave like that, but he hadn't been able to help himself. "I just-"

"What's going on?" Tony asked. "What has you so spooked?"

How well he knew him.

"He needs to know," Alec told him.

Peter hesitated, looking over Tony's shoulder to make sure no one else had followed.

"I know where all the stones are."


	31. Chapter 31

_AN: So, I just got a new puppy. A very young little man (named Jack) who will be needing some attention when he is awake. I will still be posting, no fear, just might need a little patience for a few days while we get him on a schedule._

OOOOOO

Tony paled, too.

"_How_? I mean, yeah; the ones on _Earth_, the one on Asgard and the one Thanos has. But the soul stone is hidden somewhere, right? No one knows-"

"_Gamora_ knows," Peter interrupted, ignoring the way the cloak was tightening its grasp on him, almost painfully. It was trying to comfort him, and the cloak wasn't where he was seeking comfort, just then. Nutmeg had climbed away from the fabric, and was on Peter's shoulder, now, puffing his fur out to tell it he was annoyed. "She told Thanos that she didn't, but _she_ does. And now I do, too."

"She told you?"

"The mind stone did – and Alec confirmed it."

Tony nodded, forcing back his concern, reacting to the fact that Peter needed him to be calm and collected, just then. He reached out and plucked Nutmeg from Peter's shoulder before the creature could scratch Peter.

"Okay. So you know. We knew it was probably going to happen, right?"

Peter licked his lower lip, nervously, but he nodded, too.

"Yeah." Of course it was. That was the whole reason Thanos was coming for him. He was destined to control the stones – or whatever the prophesy said. "We can't let him get to me," Peter told him. "I could destroy the universe."

It was obvious that Peter wasn't afraid for himself, but for everyone else. Tony shook his head, amazed and impressed by the boy he called son. Like he _always_ was.

"He isn't going to get anywhere near you, Peter."

"But if he _does_… you can't let him have me, Tony," Peter told him. "Even if it means killi-"

"Don't you even _think_ about finishing that sentence," Tony told him, firmly. "We're going to be ready for him, and he isn't going to get close to you. You trust me, right?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"Good. We'll keep you from Thanos, and you'll help us make sure he can't hurt anyone else."

The boy leaned into him and Tony put his arms around him, reassuring him as he tucked Peter's head under his chin. Wrapped in the cloak like he was, Peter couldn't hold Tony, but he could soak in the reassurance the strong arms around him were giving him, and he did.

"I'm sorry."

"For being _incredible_?" Tony asked, forcing a smile from Peter.

"Yeah."

It'd been a long time, really, since Peter had needed bolstering from him – aside from the search for comfort from the bad dream, but Tony was always willing, and the two of them stayed in the corridor for several long minutes. The cloak caressed Tony's head and Peter's cheek, crooning soothingly into the boy's mind, helping to steady him.

Finally, feeling the tension relaxing, Tony pulled away, a hand still on his son, though.

"Better?"

"Yes. Thanks. What do we do?"

"We keep you away from _Thanos_, of course, and keep doing what we're doing to get ready for him and his army. When he comes, he runs into a wall of hurt that will make him wish he'd never heard of the infinity stones. _Or_ Peter Parker."

Thor wasn't the only one who could be confident, after all – even though Tony was smart enough to know that it was going to take more than confidence to quell the threat. Peter smiled at that, young enough to be thrilled by the surety of Ironman and having been around him enough to know that the Avengers augmented by Strange and Wong weren't pushovers.

"Okay."

"You good?"

"Yeah."

"Go find someplace _else_ to be, right now," Tony told him, patting his cheek, lightly, allowing his expression to remind Peter how much he loved him. "I think you could do with a chance to be away from planning and worrying."

He was _sixteen_, after all, and it was a lot of pressure to put on those bony shoulders.

"What should I do?"

"Go check out the helicopter and then spend some time with Groot. Just stay out of trouble."

Groot was young enough to keep Peter distracted with young people things; video games or something else. Maybe the simulator, if flying was interesting to a tree. Peter didn't comment on the irony of telling him to stay out of trouble when there was a huge wave of trouble coming his direction. Instead, he nodded.

"Alright."

"I'll keep the cat."

Peter nodded; he couldn't really carry Nutmeg with the cloak determined to cuddle with him.

"When can I come back?"

Tony rolled his eyes.

"You're not being kicked out," he said. "When you're ready, come back. I'm not going to be doing much, right now, though – and you probably can't, either. The army will take their cues from Steve, more than anything. You and I are just window dressing, really."

"Okay."

"Mom will be home around five. Why don't you meet me in the garage then?"

Peter nodded, and Tony pulled him into another hug.

"I love you."

Which made the boy smile.

"I love you, too."

They separated, and Tony watched as Peter walked down the corridor, still being loved up by the cloak. Then he looked down at the kitten in his hand and kissed the top of Nutmeg's head and went back into the lounge.

"Is he alright?" Natasha asked, before any of the others could.

"Sure." Tony reclaimed his seat, affecting a nonchalance that he didn't feel. "He's stressing, is all."

"And with good reason," Steve said.

"Yeah." Ready to change the subject, Tony turned to the military liaisons and Steve. "What are we looking at?"

"We want to know more about the shield," Grady said.

Everyone looked at Tony – not a big surprise. He nodded, leaning back in his chair and cuddling Nutmeg up against his chest. Better that he tell them what the shield can do, rather than allow them to interrupt Shuri to have her explain it.

OOOOOO

"_I'm pretty sure that this isn't what Tony had in mind to keep you from stressing."_

Peter shrugged, even though no one was there to see it – and Alec didn't need the gesture.

"I know. It's a good way for me to sort things out, though."

He had gone to his room with the cloak, not stopping to find Groot, or any of the others, and had settled on the floor, using the coffee table as a desk and the front of the sofa as a backrest. He had a notebook in front of him and was making notes in it. Infinity stone notes. Where each was, and who had it.

The time stone was easy; he didn't even write Stephen's name down, and the mind stone was equally simple. Even _easier_, really, since Tony expected Vision and Wanda to be at the compound pretty much any time. Thor had the space stone, and something was nagging at Peter that it was important to know where it was, but he couldn't focus on it enough, just then, to understand why that might be important.

The power stone scared Peter. Especially in Thanos' hands, since Peter didn't have any trouble visualizing the damage that he'd watched being done in the video footage to Xandar actually being committed against the compound – or worse, the city of New York.

"_That'll have to be figured out,"_ Alec agreed. "_Like has already been pointed out, your best bet is going to be to distract him from the population and keep him here."_

"Any idea how to do that?"

"_You already know that answer." _

"Tony and Pepper won't like _that_ answer, though."

"_No."_

Peter looked down at the list, feeling a shudder go through him. _Fear_. He knew he had to be the distraction. He wasn't completely sure how that was going to work, though, and to distract himself, he thought about the two missing stones. The _soul stone_. He didn't know the name of the place, and the guardian was a scary red skulled persona that loomed large in Peter's mind.

"_You don't need to worry about him. He won't stop you from possessing the stone when the time comes."_

"How do you know?"

"_Because he simply advises how the stone is obtained – and you'll know when the time comes."_

"Do you know?"

"_Yes."_

Proving that even if Alec hadn't wanted to admit it, he'd meant it when he said that he couldn't lie to Peter in his mind. But he didn't need to tell him everything. Obviously. Peter didn't press.

"The girl has the other stone. The reality stone."

The mind stone had shown him the girl, and had told him even without him asking what was so important about her. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Peter knew that she was the one with the stone that was missing, and that the Collector didn't have it – and didn't know where it was. Only the girl – and she didn't even know where _she_ was, so the reality stone was truly lost at that moment.

But not hard to find, when it was needed.

Peter sighed, wondering why he was even bothering to catalogue where they were. That many of them in one place would almost certainly kill him, and he knew it. Not to mention, he had no way of holding them. Of wielding them. Thanos had a mighty gauntlet. Peter didn't.

"Not yet," Alec agreed. "Why don't you stop worrying about it, for now, and go see what Groot's doing? He'd probably make a good distraction for you since Shuri, Ned and MJ are all out of reach, right now."

With another look at his list, he decided that there wasn't any good to come from brooding over what he couldn't do anything about, just then. So he got to his feet, the Cloak of Levitation slung over his shoulder.

"Karen? Where's Groot?"

"The Quinjet simulator."

Not surprising that the videogame enthusiast would make his way that direction. It was one of Ned's favorite things to do, too.


	32. Chapter 32

Peter spent a few hours in the Quinjet simulator that afternoon. Groot had been interested, as had Rocket – who loved to fly, apparently – and Quill. When they walked from the helicopter to the simulator, they found Drax and Mantis still there, although Mantis wasn't even trying the program; she seemed to just be there to keep the other company.

She looked over at Peter when they arrived, and gave him an odd look. At first Peter thought that maybe it was because she knew how scared he was, but was reminded that Alec had told him that while she could feel the people around her, Alec kept her out of _his_ mind and thoughts.

"_She could be catching Tony's thoughts, though,"_ Alec admitted. "_She already knows that you're in danger – and has to know that Tony is worried about you."_

"_Does she have that kind of reach?"_

"_Oh, yes. Not to mention, the stronger the emotion, the easier to feel. Tony's worried. She's going to pick that up. Considering that _you're_ the one that he's the most worried about, it wouldn't be surprising if that concern is laced with your signature." _

Huh. Peter hadn't considered that, although he _knew_ Tony was worried – and probably much more than he was letting on to Peter. He didn't like worrying Tony and Pepper, but this wasn't something that he had any control over at the moment, so all he could do was help in any way that he could – or stay out of the way and try to make Tony think that he wasn't as scared as he really was.

To that end, he immediately challenged Drax to a dog fight, since Drax was the one that had the most experience on the simulator and the best chance of beating Peter. When he was shot down, almost immediately, Drax demanded a rematch, and then Rocket wanted a try against Drax, and then the others took an interest and gave Peter a much needed distraction from the events of the last few days.

He was, of course, far more experienced with the simulator, since he played with it all the time, but Rocket and Quill were both experienced pilots and once they caught on to how the controls worked, they proved to be dangerous. Peter's excellent reflexes made him a good pilot, and he was just shooting Quill down when his watched beeped to remind him that he was supposed to meet Pepper in the garage, soon.

"I'll see you guys later," Peter told the guardians, just as Gamora came around the corner, clearly looking for her companions.

"I want a rematch," Rocket said, smarting at the thought of being shot down by a kid.

More than once.

"Any time," Peter said with a smile. "I'll see you guys, later."

He dismissed himself and Quill turned to Gamora.

"Want a go at it?"

She rolled her eyes.

"No."

"What did you learn?" Rocket asked, curiously.

"These people are optimistic of their chances to be able to stand against Thanos."

"Yeah? And…?"

"So were the _Nova Corps_," she pointed out. "And we all know how that ended."

"We're not _leaving_ though, right?" Drax asked.

It was clear he didn't like the idea of running from any fight. Even a hopeless one.

She nodded.

"They're the best chance we have, I think."

"_And_ they're good people," Quill added. "Not to mention, I still have _family_ here on earth, somewhere, and I'd hate to see this planet destroyed."

"I am groot?"

He hesitated, and everyone looked at Quill.

"Do I want to _visit_ them?"

The question surprised him, since it wasn't something that he ever would have considered.

"You mentioned it was a homecoming for you," Gamora reminded him.

"Yeah. But the _earth_ home," he said, feeling uncertain – and a little uneasy. "I wouldn't know any of them. My cousins would all be old, now, and my grandfather…" he trailed off, shrugging. "No. I probably would be better off not even making the try. How would I explain where I've been?"

"You tell them you were stolen by ravagers because your crazy celestial father wanted to experiment on you," Drax told him, helpfully.

Quill wasn't the only one to roll his eyes at that.

"Tell us what they have going for them," Peter told Gamora, changing the subject. "And what we can do to add to it."

OOOOOOO

Tony was waiting in the garage, already, by the time Peter arrived at a trot. The billionaire was leaning against Peter's Pontiac, and when he looked at Peter, he was pleased to see that the boy looked a little less stressed than he had. Always a good thing. He also noticed the cloak wasn't hanging out with him.

"Did Stephen leave?"

"About 20 minutes ago," Peter confirmed. "At least, that's when the cloak abandoned me. I assumed he was going home."

They both knew that the cloak preferred to spend time with peter when Strange was at the compound.

"What did you end up doing?"

"Killed Starlord in a half dozen dogfights in the Quinjet."

He said it casually because he knew that it would amuse Tony – which would relax his concern, even if it was only for a moment.

"And the _raccoon_?"

Peter smiled, since he knew Tony knew Rocket's name. Obviously Tony was trying to keep him from being concerned, as well. He loved him for the effort.

"Him, too. And Drax a few times. Then I watched them. _You_?"

"Listened to Steve and Gradymatson babble at each other in military talk. Line of sight, defensive teams, fields of fire… all those things."

"Are they going to evacuate the area?"

"Not yet. Not until we have a better idea of a timeline. There are a lot of small farms between here and the city, after all, and it's coming up to harvest time for many of them. We don't want to pull them too soon and have them standing by for what could end up being months."

"That makes sense."

"Yeah." Tony shrugged. "I never even _considered_ it, so it's probably a good thing the military guys came. It's their specialty – this kind of thing. They're planning on using guard units to start – they mobilize faster than the regular army. So they tell me, anyway. I would have thought it worked the other way. But these people are closer than bringing entire units from someplace like Tennessee or something."

Peter nodded his agreement and started to say something, but Pepper's car pulled into sight, just then, and he and Tony parted. Tony onto Pepper's side, when she pulled into the garage, and Peter moving to stand at the front of the car. She smiled at both of them and turned off the car while Tony opened her door.

"There are my two favorite men."

Peter smiled, watching as Tony pressed his cheek against hers, and then kissed her. A movement outside of the garage before the door closed showed him another car – the one that had been following Pepper from the tower, he knew – peel off and head for the auxiliary garage.

"How was the drive?"

"Uneventful." She got out of the car and tossed a small paper bag at him – which he caught, easily. "Three donuts from the shop you like by the tower."

"Thanks."

"Make sure Shuri gets one, at least."

"I will."

"Where is she?"

"Working on the shield," Tony replied as they left the garage. "I checked in with her – _once_ – and was politely and firmly told to go away and let her work."

"She's been working on it all day?"

"Pretty much," Peter told her.

"Then she needs a _break_." Since the workroom was off of their quarters, Peter could go get her while Pepper was changing. "We'll feed her dinner and distract her with other activities. I don't want her burning out."

"Peter can distract her," Tony agreed.

OOOOOOO

"But I am only just getting to the _interesting_ part…"

Peter shrugged.

"Tell _Pepper_," he said. "She wants you to take a break."

"A few minutes to eat dinner will not mess with my schedule, too much, I sup-"

"The rest of the night," he interrupted.

She frowned, looking at him as if he had grown another head.

"That is not possible, Peter. I am getting to the calibrating and the-"

"All the tricky stuff?"

"Yes."

"Then you're better off doing it in the morning," he replied, reasonably. "After you've had a good night's sleep."

"I do not need a good night's sleep. I need to get this done."

She looked slightly annoyed, but Peter only smiled.

"Good luck telling Pepper that," he said, shrugging. "She's dragged Tony out of this place a million times; him all '_but it's almost done'_ and her all '_then it can wait until later'_."

"I will explain it to her. She will understand."

Peter just shrugged, again. He doubted it. Pepper's mom thing was pretty unreasonable, at times – and Tony was a lot more persuasive than Shuri.


	33. Chapter 33

Proving that Peter knew her a lot better than Shuri did, Pepper didn't even let the young princess get her argument out before she raised her hand, putting a stop to what was almost certainly going to be a well thought out debate.

"No."

One word, and Tony couldn't help the smirk that he tossed Peter's direction. He'd been on the receiving end of that single word so many times that he'd lost count. Even Peter had found himself on that end of it.

"But… I am-"

"Shuri. Is the next step of your shield project important?"

"Yes. Which is why I need to get it completed before I do anything else."

Peter glanced back at Tony, knowing the answer had opened Pepper's next argument.

"Then it only makes sense that you go at the next step fresh. Get something to eat, and do something to take your mind off things for a little while, get some sleep and then you'll have a clear mind to start tomorrow."

The girl frowned, looking at Tony, and then at Peter, and finding no help from either of them. They both shrugged, as a matter of fact. Pepper raised an eyebrow, waiting, and Shuri sighed.

"Very well. I suppose it will not hurt to wait until tomorrow morning."

"Good." Pepper smiled. "Why don't you and Peter go save us a spot?"

Peter nodded, taking Shuri's hand and heading for the door. Tony smiled as they left, and then turned his attention to his wife.

"Smooth."

Pepper chuckled, letting him wrap her in his arms.

"She's _easy_ compared to some people I know."

"I know you're not referring to anyone in this room…"

She rested her cheek against his chest, and knew from the way that he was holding her that he'd had a rough day.

"What have we learned, today?"

"The military liaisons are here, and they're talking about bringing up the National Guard, first, then augmenting with regulars when it becomes necessary. Vision and Wanda were supposed to be here, today, but they're being held up – Wanda didn't tell me why."

"And Peter?"

He didn't even ask how she knew there was something going on with Peter. The grip that he held, tightened.

"He told me, this morning, that Gamora knows where the soul stone is." Before she could ask, he sighed. "It's the one stone that we were counting on, because supposedly no one knew where it was."

"But she does?"

"She does, yes – and Peter does, too, now."

Pepper was intelligent enough to know what that meant – but she voiced it, anyway.

"So that means Peter knows where all of them are?"

"Yes. Not that it is that big of a deal – Gamora knows where they all are, too," he said. "And we can figure it out. The scary part is that if Thanos finds out that Peter knows – and that Peter has the connection with them – then he's definitely going to be a target."

"Peter knows?"

"Yes." Tony's chin came to rest on the top of her head. He hesitated, but she had to know. "He had the nerve to tell me that if it even looked like Thanos was going to get control of him, I was supposed to make sure it didn't happen."

She hadn't missed the phrasing, and she frowned, stepping back and looking up at him.

"What?"

"It isn't going to happen, Pep."

"No. It _can't_ happen. We're getting everything together that we need?"

"We're going to be ready for him. And anything that he brings with him. Stephen and Romanoff are back from Asgard, and Thor's buried his stone deep – and offered Asgard as a sanctuary if we get overrun." It was important to him that she know all of it. "Stephen's going to make a portal to Asgard that can be triggered by anyone. If the worst happens, you open it and grab Peter and get the hell out."

The look she gave him was hard to read, but Tony didn't mind. He expected her to deny that anything like that was going to happen. The idea, right then, was to tell her and get the idea in her mind – just in case. Using Peter wasn't just a way to make sure she got herself to safety, but it was a reminder that someone had to survive to take care of their son – and had to make sure that he went with her. Again, just in case.

"Did you check on my suit?"

"I went by. It's taking shape."

"I'll be staying here, the next few days," she told him, kissing his cheek and then stepping out of his hold. "All meetings that are scheduled can be handled by the vice presidents and PAs."

"Then you can watch when we try out the new shield tomorrow afternoon."

"It's that close?"

He smiled, slightly.

"If you didn't rein her in, Shuri would have been able to finish it, tonight. I'm in complete agreement with you, by the way. Tomorrow is soon enough, and there's enough pressure on her. We'll make sure she has a chance to do something that doesn't mean life or death, tonight."

"Spoons?"

Tony rolled his eyes.

"I said no life or death, honey," he reminded her. "You've seen those people play spoons."

They were both smiling, despite the danger lurking, when she finished dressing and they headed to the lounge, hand in hand.

OOOOOO

"Does she really believe that we need to save them a place to sit?"

Peter shook his head, amused. Both by the question, and because Pepper had proven him right.

"That's mom-talk for _get out and find something to do until dinner_."

"We were _dismissed_?"

"Yep."

Peter was clearly unconcerned by the fact.

"I do not remember the last time I was dismissed."

"I get it all the time," Peter assured her. He was pretty sure that Tony would want some time alone with Pepper – and would almost certainly tell her that their son knew where the stones were and the danger that it posed. If she didn't figure it out, herself. "Want to play chess while we wait for them?"

Shuri nodded.

They were still holding hands when they walked into the lounge only a minute or two later and there were only a few people there to notice. Groot was there, but his attention was on the video game in his hands. Drax and Mantis were also there, sitting at a table with Clint and Bruce – who had been out of town, and must have been called, because as far as Peter knew, he wasn't supposed to be back for another few days.

Now, he was sitting in the lounge, and Nutmeg was on his shoulder, almost asleep. The four were playing cards, and it was clear that Clint was teaching the aliens how to play spades.

"Want to play?" Bruce asked, smiling at Peter when they walked over and well aware of the response.

"No, we're going to play chess while we wait for Tony and Pepper. Thanks, though."

"She went to the tower?"

"Yeah."

"But you didn't go to school?"

He was still being caught up, clearly.

"No. It's out for a while. Can't risk me bringing trouble down on my friends." He couldn't help the slightly bitter note in his tone, and he shrugged. "We've already pulled Shuri and Wakanda into it, after all."

"We are you allies, Peter," Shuri reminded him. "It is not just our pleasure to assist in any way that we can – it is also our duty, since we are well aware that if things were reversed, you and your people would be there for us."

A royal speech – and the complete truth, Peter knew.


	34. Chapter 34

"Are you alright?" Tony asked, handing Shuri an icepack with a wry smile.

The Wakandan princess smiled, too, holding up a spoon and looking cheerful – despite the bruise she was going to have on her cheek.

"I am fine," she assured him.

Pepper gave her husband a look.

"You realize the next time she comes to visit, T'Challa is going to insist on a security detail, right?"

"It wasn't me," Tony reminded her. "This one's on _Steve_."

"It was an accident," Rogers said. "I thought she was Clint."

"Hey!"

Rocket walked by, also brandishing a spoon in his little racoon hand.

"I like this game," he told Peter.

The boy nodded.

"I do, too."

"You should have played, Gamora," Quill said, taking an icepack from Peter with a nod of thanks. "It's fun."

She shook her head, tossing him a rare smile as she looked at the people who were breaking up and calling it a night. Several had played, and many were disheveled and sporting bruises – and in Quill's case, even a slight cut on his forehead from hitting the edge of the table during a particularly physical scramble for the spoons.

"Yes, I can see how fun it was."

"I enjoyed it," Drax announced, holding a spoon, too – and clearly not planning to return it to the bar. "A warrior's game, and yet filled with the potential for deceit. Just like life."

Grady had been watching – although Lyle had decided to play once Peter had pointed out that it was a good way to team build and get to know some of the people that were at the compound. The colonel shook his head, as well, watching from the bar, where he was standing with Tony and Pepper.

"This isn't what I was expecting when I got this assignment," he admitted.

"Aliens and talking racoons playing cards and wrestling for spoons?" Tony asked. "What were you expecting?"

"Aliens, yes. But not ones that are allies."

Pepper nodded her understanding.

"It's amazing what you can get used to, isn't it?"

The colonel smiled, looking at Shuri.

"On the plus side, I finally got a chance to meet a real princess."

The girl smiled, reacting immediately to the man's good nature – the same good nature that had made him hit it off with Peter when they'd met, seemingly at random, in Phoenix. Before she could reply, though, Tony spoke up.

"You're going to need to bring up some of those guard troops sometime tomorrow, Colonel," he said. "We're going to be running a test of the shield and it's going to cut across the highway in a couple of places – and will enclose a few buildings. We'll need people to keep civilians out of the way."

"What time?"

Tony looked at Shuri.

"The shield will be ready for initial testing early afternoon," the princess told them, still pressing the icepack against her cheek. "Once we have the program up, it can be raised and lowered in sections. And, of course, can be powered down when not needed."

"That'll save on the light bill," Tony said, winking at Peter who was walking over, holding Nutmeg in his hand and looking as if he'd had a good time. "You okay, son?"

"Yeah." He looked at Shuri. "Are _you_?"

"I am fine."

"We're going to call it a night," Tony told him – and the others. "Anyone need anything?"

The army liaison shook his head, as did the teens and then the Avengers and the guardians.

"I'm going to bed," Steve said.

"Beating up little girls can wear a guy out," Romanoff agreed with a smirk.

Rogers rolled his eyes, amused, and glanced at Shuri, who was also smiling. It was worth the elbow to the face to get a look like that, she decided.

"It was an _accident_," he repeated. "And I didn't beat her up."

"Probably scarred her for life," Pepper agreed.

"And caused a diplomatic incident," Tony said. "Once her brother learns of it."

"Do not listen to them, Steve," Shuri told him. "I am much tougher than that, and my brother will understand."

"Thank you, Shuri," Steve said – although he did check her cheek once more. "I'll see you all in the morning."

The others started leaving, as well, saying goodnight as they went, until it was only Tony, Pepper, Peter, Shuri – and Natasha all standing near the bar.

"Stephen's going to come tomorrow with Wong," Natasha said. "He wants to see how the shield works, and will want to know where you want the portal to Asgard to be set up."

"What do you think would work best?"

"Probably the gym."

Tony nodded.

"That's where I was thinking, too." He looked at Shuri. "Would you be willing to take Ironpig home with you when you go? This isn't going to be a safe place for him, and I don't want him being ignored in the run up to preparations."

Shuri nodded.

"My mother will be pleased to see him."

"She doesn't get to play football with him, or eat him," Tony reminded her.

"So I will inform her." She looked at Peter. "Nutmeg is welcome to come, as well."

Peter shook his head.

"Thank you, but him and Jack are going to Clint's farm. Jack's brother lives there, and Lila loves Nutmeg."

"We didn't want to send you home with a menagerie of pets to watch," Tony told her. "You have enough to do back home."

"I will take good care of him."

"I know." He looked at Peter. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Peter knew that it was killing Tony to even think of sending his pig away, but knew that Tony had thought it through and decided that Wakanda was the best place for him to be. Even if Thanos didn't show for months, the avengers – and Tony – would be busy in the preparations leading up to it, and wouldn't have time to spend with the pig. Rather than have him be ignored, he'd send him to his original home and to Shuri, who Tony trusted completely to coddle him. "I'm going to walk Shuri to her rooms and then go to bed."

"We'll see you in the morning, then." The three adults watched as the teens left, and Tony turned to Natasha. "Does he need anything?" he asked, well aware that she would be able to read Peter even easier than Tony could.

It was her specialty, after all.

"He seems to be holding up as well as we can expect. I thought Wanda and Vision were coming?"

"They'll be here, tomorrow."

"Why the delay?"

He shrugged.

"Wanda didn't say," he admitted. "But she didn't sound happy when I spoke with her. If you're around, tomorrow when they show up, I'd appreciate it."

Mainly because he didn't know Wanda well enough to read her – and she could read him like an open book, he knew. If Romanoff had a chance, he knew she'd find out if anything was going on that needed his attention and would pass the information along.

"Yeah. I'll be around all day."

"Thank you. You'll keep an eye on Peter, too?"

Romanoff smiled.

"You don't even need to ask."

"I know. Thanks." He looked at Pepper. "Ready for bed?"

"Yes."

"Good night, guys," Natasha said.

She was going to hang out in the bar just for a little while longer, and give Peter a chance to walk Shuri to her rooms and then if she timed it right she'd catch Peter coming into his own quarters and spend a little time with him, just the two of them, and get an idea of how he was doing – and if there was anything that she needed to address with him, or to bring up with Tony and Pepper.

Tony and Pepper left hand in hand, and Natasha reached behind the bar and found a bag of pretzels. There wasn't any hurry, really; she knew Peter would hang out and chat with Shuri for a short time, at least.


	35. Chapter 35

Peter was sitting on his couch when she tapped, lightly on the door. He turned, smiling when she poked her head into the living room area.

"Are you decent?"

"Of course."

She made a show of looking around, carefully, as she walked in and closed the door behind her.

"Shuri isn't hiding in the other room?"

Peter smiled, and shook his head.

"I walked her to her rooms, already – which, as you know, are on the other side of the compound."

Romanoff smiled, too, and plucked Nutmeg from his cat tree where the kitten had been watching as Peter sat on the sofa, looking over the list that he'd made earlier. Now he set the paper aside as she sat down beside him.

"How are you holding up?" she asked him, bringing her arm around him.

"I'm scared," he admitted, softly, leaning into her side. "I could hurt a lot of people, and I can't think of any way out of it."

"You aren't going to hurt anyone, baby," she assured him. "It isn't going to happen."

"He's going to come…" Peter told her. "I can feel it. Like the way I know I need to be somewhere, or if something is coming at me and I need to dodge it? I feel him. Huge and dark and looming on the horizon. He's coming to get me, and he's going to make me use the stones…"

"You say that like you don't have a choice in the matter," Natasha told him, setting Nutmeg on the arm of the sofa, and bringing her other arm around him, now, to hold him, securely, tucking his head under her chin and guiding his cheek to her collarbone. His comfort position with her – and hers with him. "Like you'd be willing to let him use you – and as if there aren't a wall of Avengers standing between him and you."

"If he uses that power stone, he'll be able to destroy all of you. Even Stephen and Wong couldn't put up a shield to protect you guys." Peter shuddered, and Natasha knew that the boy she was holding wasn't afraid for _himself_ – at least he wasn't as afraid for himself as he was for the rest of them. "I don't know what to do, Natasha…" Peter said, speaking into her shirt. "I told Tony that if Thanos gets close to me – if it looks like he's going to be able to get me that he needs to keep it from happening. No matter what."

She frowned. No wonder Tony had been looking so grim, lately.

"Bet that didn't go over very well…"

"No. He didn't even let me finish the sentence." Peter trembled, again, and she tightened her hold on his lean frame, trying to comfort him as much as she could when he seemed to – literally – have the weight of the world (and every other world) on shoulders that were body and already had carried too many burdens for any sixteen year old. "He told me that it isn't going to happen."

"Yeah. He's right. We'll get the stone from Thanos before he has a chance to use it – and we'll keep him from the rest of them – or we'll just kill him and end the threat the easy way."

Peter wasn't completely convinced, but she was so competent. So _certain_. Her confidence wasn't the same as Tony's. He had tech, and he was amazing, but he wasn't a killer. Not like Natasha. Peter knew that if there was a way to take out Thanos, Natasha would be the one to figure it out.

But… just in case…

"And if we can't…?" he said, softly, burying his face against her, shivering. "If he gets me?"

"Then I'll end the threat," she promised him, her hand coming to the back of his head, threading through his hair, tenderly.

Peter held her for a long time, soaking in her courage while she crooned reassurances into his ear. The same ear that she pressed an occasional kiss against. Natasha was willing to hold him all night, if he needed her to, and she was glad that he didn't ask her to clarify her promise, because as far as she was concerned, it wasn't _Peter_ that was the threat.

She made a mental note to talk to Gamora, again, as soon as she could; if Thanos had a weak spot, she needed to know what it was and how she could exploit it.

When the boy finally sighed, and pulled away from her, Natasha was pleased to see that he didn't look as frightened as he had – although his expression was concerned. It was his default state, most of the time, anyway. She didn't release him, right away, instead brushing her fingers through his hair, lightly, studying him.

"You okay?"

"I'm always okay when you're around," he told her, honestly. "Thank you."

Romanoff smiled.

"You're welcome. Want me to stay?"

Peter shook his head.

"No." _Yes_. "I'm going to go to bed. If anything happens, I'll end up with you, anyway. Or with Tony and Pepper."

"You sure?" she obviously wasn't convinced, even though Peter _did_ smile, then.

"Yeah. Thanks, Natasha. Really. You're amazing."

She kissed him, hugged him close for another long moment, and then let him go and stood up.

"You are, too. I'll see you in the morning, alright?"

"Yeah. Good night."

"Good night, baby."

OOOOOO

"_Don't hide your son, Ironman."_

_Tony scowled. Of course he was going to hide Peter. He was just a boy, after all, and he and Pepper had promised to watch over him, and to protect him._

"_Go to hell. I'm not going to let him face a madman."_

"_If he doesn't, the universe will fall."_

"_He's a kid."_

"_A powerful child. Rare and desperately needed."_

"_Yeah. By me."_

"_By the universe. If he fails, half of your world will vanish – if not more."_

"_He _is_ my universe."_

_An image of Pepper. And then Steve. And Clint – and Clint's family – and then Natasha Romanoff and Nick Fury and a succession of everyone else that Tony knew flashed into his mind._

"_Is he worth losing them all?"_

"_Why don't you find someone else?"_

"_The events are coming to an end. Your son will hold the universe in his hands. Whether you want him to – or not. Support him, but do not hide him."_

Warm arms came around him, even as he jolted awake. Arms that were as familiar to him as his own, and he trembled as Pepper hugged him close, still mostly asleep, herself.

"I'm here…" she murmured, gently, caressing his side. "Breathe…"

Tony looked around for whatever creature was attached to the voice that had been speaking to him, and as he woke, further, he realized that he'd been dreaming. He sat up, mindful of the woman who was holding him – even as he continued to shake.

"Jesus."

Pepper opened her eyes, now.

"Nightmare?" she asked, softly.

"Yeah. Sorry I woke you."

"It's fine." It's not like it was even close to the first time. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Need to talk it out?"

"Not yet." Nothing new there, either. He'd have a nightmare, mull it over, and then if it was something that was still bothering him, Pepper was always there to be a sounding board for him. Not this time, though. At least, not yet. It was still new and fresh. And scary. He leaned into her for a long moment, until she was mostly asleep. "I'll be back in a little bit," he finally whispered.

She nodded, and he eased out of their bed and reached for something more substantial to wear.

"Friday? Where's Peter?" he asked, walking into the living room.

"_In his bed."_

"Alone?"

"_Yes."_

Never knew if Natasha might have joined him there, after all.

OOOOOOO

Peter woke with a start, warned by those inner senses of his that he wasn't alone. It was a gentle prodding, though. Someone's here, but there isn't any danger. That sort of thing. He opened his eyes and rolled over, looking toward the door to his room, and frowned when he saw Tony standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and watching him.

"Is he here?" he asked, dumb with sleep and voicing his greatest concern without thinking.

"No." Tony walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. "It's alright, son. I'm sorry I woke you. I was just checking on you."

"I'm okay."

Tony reached for his forehead, even though he knew there wasn't going to be a fever, and found himself under attack by a newly woken kitten, determined to play despite the time of day. He caught Nutmeg in one hand, and tucked the kitten under his elbow to hold him still, then reached again with the free hand.

"Yeah. Go back to sleep, alright?"

"Are you alright?"

Tony nodded.

"Just had a weird dream."

"About what?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, right now. Go back to sleep, okay?"

"Was it Thanos?"

"No, son. I'm not sure exactly what it was."

"You'd tell me?"

"Yeah." Tony ruffled Peter's hair. "Go back to sleep, alright?"

"What are _you_ going to do?"

"I'm going to check on Pepper's new suit, and then I'm going to go back to bed."

"Can I come?"

Tony smiled. It never got old to him that Peter enjoyed his company – and not because he was Ironman.

"Yeah. But if mom finds out you were up late, I said no and told you to go back to sleep. Understand?"

Peter smiled, too, and tossed his blankets back.

"If she finds out, I'll tell her that you came in here and shook me awake, wanting a consult."

The billionaire rolled his eyes.

"Hurry up, kid."


	36. Chapter 36

They walked through the silent corridors to the workroom, Tony resting his hand easily on Peter's bony shoulder, idly amused and amazed that such a scrawny body had so much power hidden within. Then he lost the amusement when he thought back on the dream that he had. Power enough to hold all the stones? Tony knew that with Alec's help Peter was able to tolerate the mind stone being close. But that was one stone. Surely the effect would be magnified by having more than one close at hand.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Peter asked, proving that he was thinking about whatever had brought Tony to his quarters, too.

The billionaire shrugged, his grip tightening a little on Peter's shoulder.

"Alec isn't telling you?"

"No. Should I ask _him_ instead of _you_?"

Tony shook his head. If he was old enough to ask, then he was old enough to be told the answer. Besides, it was Peter. Tony wanted to protect him from everything that was happening, but he knew that this wasn't something that he could hide. Peter _should_ know. Some of it, anyway.

"I had a dream about you. Voice in my head telling me that I can't hide you from what's happening. Telling me that you're powerful and needed to save the universe…"

"Who's voice?"

"I don't know, and it honestly doesn't even matter. You're my responsibility. I just don't know how to protect you from this one, and that has me reeling a little."

A _lot_.

"I don't think that you _can_," Peter told him, feeling his own fear fading a little as he tried to reassure Tony. "If he comes here, he could destroy the entire planet, like he did with that planet the guardians were showing us. We can't let that happen."

"We're not going to," Tony assured him. "We have a lot of resources to throw in front of him."

Peter nodded.

"I know. I'm one of them, though. Right? I mean, if I can do something to help, you should let me."

"And if you get hurt?"

Peter gave him a look. Tony read him almost as well as Natasha, and all he could see was love in those expressive eyes of his.

"To help save everyone else? It's be worth it."

"Nothing is worth you getting hurt, Peter. It's my job to keep you safe, and-"

"It's your job to use everything that you can to protect the earth, too. Including me."

"But-"

"Are you going to hide _Pepper_?"

Peter purposely avoided calling her mom, knowing that the phrasing would make it more intimate and add to Tony's very real fears of injury being done to his family.

Tony scowled.

"She won't let me."

Which made Peter smile, because he knew that wasn't a statement that Tony made very often. There were very few people (_one_) on the entire planet that could tell Tony Stark what to do, utterly and completely.

"You're making her a suit, though, to keep her as safe as you can."

They were almost to the workroom, after all, to look at it.

"Yes."

"I already _have_ a suit."

"It's not enough to keep _you_ safe, though," Tony pointed out, palming the door to the workroom open. "Not if those stones all end up here. Right?"

Peter didn't even need to ask Alec.

"No. The vibranium in the suit Shuri made me will buffer some of it, though, and Alec can help – and we don't know that _all_ of them will come."

Tony rolled his eyes. They both knew that they couldn't trust the universe too much.

"I want a promise from you, son," he said – and he made _sure_ that he called him _son_, because he wanted Peter to understand exactly how he felt – and would always feel when it came to him. "If things go bad and if there's nothing that you can do, I want you to haul ass to Asgard. Don't stop for me. Don't stop for Pepper. Just go."

"But-"

"If you're the only one this Thanos can use to destroy the universe, then you need to do everything that you can to keep out of his hands – and if mom and I can't keep you clear, then _you_ need to do it. Do you understand me?"

Peter looked like he wanted to argue, but Tony was dead serious, and there was only one answer, really.

"_He's right,"_ Alec said. _"You can't be caught by Thanos. Even if it means you leave everyone behind."_

The boy nodded, reluctantly.

"Yes."

"Good. Thank you." Tony pulled Peter into a hug, holding him tight. "Not that anything is going to happen, though. You'll see."

Peter nodded, holding Tony just as hard as he was being held – careful not to hurt him, but giving him as much confidence as he could summon, just then. After a long moment, he pulled away, wiping eyes that might have been a little moist. They needed to change the subject, because he couldn't handle any more maudlin conversation, or he was going to end up sleepwalking right into their bed the rest of his life.

"Why are you calling her suit Rescue?"

Tony smiled, walking over to the manufacturing unit, where the transparent barrier was allowing them to see the suit taking shape. Smaller than Tony's and already showing hints of blue metal to go with the silver.

"Because she's rescued me from myself a million times in the many years that she's known me. It's a tribute to that."

"Oh."

"And besides; it's _cool_."

Peter smiled.

OOOOOOO

Pepper roused when Tony joined her in their bed, once more. She snuggled up against him, reacting to his presence even before she was really awake.

"Everything alright?"

He nodded, kissing her cheek.

"Yeah. Your son and I went to check on your suit."

"He's _my_ son?" she asked, smiling. "What did he do?"

Tony chuckled.

"He's just being intelligent, compassionate and courageous. We both know he learns that watching you."

She nodded, bringing her arms around him, warming him since he was a little chilled from being out of bed.

"How's my suit coming?"

"Production is ahead of Friday's initial estimate. And it looks pretty good."

Pepper smiled, sleepily.

"I better finish reading the manual, then, hmmm?"

"Even better; I think we'll have a simulator for it before tomorrow afternoon so you'll be able to have some practice in it before you go live."

"Is _Peter_ alright?"

"I woke him up when I went to check on him. He's fine, Pep. I took him with me to check the suit, but then I sent him back to bed."

"Anything I need to know?"

She wasn't quite ready to stop worrying, just yet.

"He loves you and I love you," Tony murmured, cuddling her against him. "For right now, that's all that matters."

Pepper smiled at that and let his embrace put her to sleep, again. Time enough tomorrow to double check that there wasn't anything that needed her attention.


	37. Chapter 37

"You okay?"

Peter nodded, looking over at Clint. There was a fair-sized group of them standing on the roof of the compound, just then. Clint wasn't the only Avenger; Natasha, Steve and Nick were there, as were all the guardians except Groot. Wong was on the roof, too – although Stephen wasn't. The sorcerer supreme was in the gym, setting up the portal trigger that would open to Asgard should it ever become necessary.

"Yeah." He looked up into the afternoon sky, watching Tony in his Ironman suit and Carol – who was just hovering like a boss – and wondering if they were high enough to avoid the shield when it was activated. "It's kind of _exciting_, isn't it?"

Clint nodded, too.

"If not for the reason for making sure we _have_ a shield."

"True."

They were waiting for the initial test of the new shield. Shuri was in the workroom and not in the roof, but she didn't _need_ to be. She was interacting with Tony via Friday in the workroom, and Tony was in contact with Steve, who was on the roof. Along with Grady and Lyle, who were in constant contact with the various commanders of the national guard units who were charged with the simple task of making sure that no civilians drove into (or walked into) the shield when it went up – and stayed clear during the duration of the test.

This wasn't a huge deal; the Avengers compound had undergone a few somewhat similar testing processes, which had required some crowd control with the civilians, so no one was going to be suspicious – or even nervous – about the military presence. At least not yet.

Carol and Tony were going to watch for anything out of the ordinary, since they were both flight capable and Tony wanted everything on video, anyway, so that he and the others would have a better idea of what the shield would cover once it was up. Friday was recording everything from several different angles. Not just from the suit Tony was wearing, but from various security cameras.

"_Are we ready?"_ Peter heard Tony ask from the communicator in his watch.

Shuri's reply wasn't audible to him – he didn't have his own suit activated, after all – but he did hear as Steve and the military guys interacted with their own people, making sure that the civilian population (sparse though it was) were out of the way, as well.

"_Ready_," came a reply from several military checkpoints within a five-mile radius.

It wasn't just the roads being closed for the duration of the test, but it was all along the perimeter of where the shield would be activating. Keeping people and animals clear while giving the onlookers an idea of what the shield would look like, and what to expect – and to give Shuri a chance to make sure it was doing what it was supposed to be doing, and Tony a chance to make sure there wasn't anything unexpected happening.

There was a pause, and suddenly the sky around them was glowing, slightly, as they watched the shield go up without hesitation.

Now Peter did activate his suit, as well, knowing that Tony wanted recordings from his angle as well. The HUD came up and he had a better view of things from every spectrum, and he was still able to listen to the comments of the people around him while Karen was recording – as well as both sides of the conversation Tony was having with Shuri.

"How does it look?" Natasha asked, knowing that he was just listening in and not a part of any conversation.

Peter looked at her and then looked up at the shield.

"It's doing exactly what it's supposed to do. And there isn't any fluctuation."

"Good. How long will they keep it up?"

"About half an hour."

Which would give them plenty of time to make sure the power didn't surge or surprise them.

"We can go over the results after lunch," Steve said, looking over at them and proving that he was paying attention to everything going on around him.

Romanoff nodded and they all turned their attention back up to the shield.

OOOOO

"How did it go?"

Tony shook his head, smiling, and coming up to Pepper so he could put his arms around her.

"It looks exactly like the one that protected our honeymoon villa – only bigger and more powerful. No energy issues, and no flickering, as far as prelims showed. How was the simulator?"

Now it was Pepper's turn to smile.

"Is the suit _really_ going to have a laser beam?"

"Eventually. But not initially."

"Too bad."

He hugged her.

"I'm not ruling it out. Are you ready for lunch?"

"Yes." She _wasn't_, really – she wanted to have another go in the simulator that he'd cooked up in only an hour of so in the same workroom that was actually building the suit – but she was well aware of the need to set an example and keep things on schedule. That meant eating and making the others eat, and showing them that family time was still needed (and really was probably needed more) just then. "What's Peter doing?"

"He went to get Shuri – they'll meet us in the lounge."

"She really _is_ a genius, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Between her and Peter, and _Ned_ – of course – our future's in good hands."

They both smiled at that.

"_Message coming in from Wanda Maximoff."_

Tony pulled back from Pepper – after stealing a quick kiss.

"Are they coming?"

"_They're at the six-mile mark,"_ Friday responded. _"And are waiting for clearance to proceed."_

"Where's Peter?"

"_Just entering the lounge."_

"Call him for me."

A moment later it was Peter and not Friday who responded.

"_Everything okay?"_

"Wanda and Vision are on their way in from about six miles out. How do you feel? And can I tell them to keep coming?"

There was a short hesitation.

"_Yeah. I'm okay. We're in the lounge."_

"We'll be there in a minute." He changed his conversation to Friday. "Tell Wanda to come on in and ask them to meet us in the lounge."

"_Will do."_

OOOOOOOO

For all that she was incredibly powerful, and Vision wasn't even human, both of them hesitated at the edge of the tables as they walked into the lounge and headed for the tables where Peter was sitting with several others. Some were already known to them; the avengers, of course, and even Carol. Stephen and Wong, too. Others were strangers – and neither had seen a woman with antennae, a person that looked like Drax, a living tree or a talking racoon, so they definitely took a second look at them as they greeted the others.

"Peter," Wanda said, taking the seat beside Natasha. "You look good."

Of course, it seemed like every time she saw the boy (and yeah, he was only a couple of years younger than _she_ was, but that didn't matter, right?, he was still a boy – technically) he was hurt, or had been. This time, though, he looked a little tired and a little worried, but there wasn't any blood or bandages. She couldn't read him like she could the others, so she couldn't know immediately what was going on in his head, but she was pretty good at reading people's expressions to go along with the emotions and thoughts that she felt from them, and he didn't look any more distressed than most of the others.

"Thanks, Wanda," Peter replied with a smile. "You do, too."

As he made introductions to the others around the table, though, he decided that she looked upset. Not _oh no the mad Titan is coming at the planet and everyone is in danger_ kind of upset that he could read on other expressions, but something different. Something even more near and dear to her. He didn't ask, though – not even _Alec_ – since it wasn't right to snoop when it wasn't any of your business. The ancient sorcerer in his head was quiet, too, as if respecting that. Or maybe he was just too distracted by the cloak, which had once more wrapped itself around Peter when it had arrived that morning with Wong and Stephen, and hadn't shown any indication of changing positions until Strange was ready to go.

Which wasn't happening any time soon, Peter knew.

Quill and Gamora were explaining what they were doing on earth when Tony and Pepper made their arrival into the lounge, as well. Peter glanced over at them, a smile already on his face as the two walked over and took the seats that the others had left empty for them. With Shuri on his right, and Pepper now on his left, Peter had to admit as he looked around the tables that had been pushed together for them all that there was a lot of concentrated power in that one room.

"_It's definitely a start,"_ Alec agreed. _"If anyone has a chance at stopping this guy, I'd have to say that this is the core of that group."_

That made Peter feel a little less scared and maybe a bit more confident. Well, less _terrified_ and more _hopeful_, maybe.

Tony looked at Peter, reaching across Pepper so he could brush a hand across the boy's forehead, breaking into his contemplation.

"Are you handling the mind stone alright?" he asked.

Peter nodded, smiling. The world could stop spinning on its axis, a volcano could go off somewhere and cause worldwide winter, and Tony's first reaction would be to palm Peter's forehead and ask how he was feeling.

Some things never would change. And he was glad.

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"Good." Tony looked at the others, letting Peter's forehead go. "Lunch, first, okay? Get to know the new people and let them get to know you – we probably don't have time for a full on company retreat or teambuilding trust-falls – but it'll be better all around if everyone knows at least a little about each other."

They all knew _him_, so he didn't need to speak up. Which would free him to eat, and to watch Peter and make sure he was really not taking any harm from being so close to Vision.


	38. Chapter 38

By the time the group was finished eating – and many had lingered over a final cup of coffee – or tea – and some somewhat idle conversation, the large group of odd individuals knew a little more about each other. Steve and the military guys had released the guard units and had given a very casual debrief of how the population in the area had reacted to the movements.

"Most just shrugged it off," Steve said. "We told them it was for an experiment going on at the compound and that was all that was needed."

"Some hung out and watched at a distance," Lyle said, still somewhat awed at the company that he was keeping.

True, he was the right hand of a general, but this was the _Avengers_, after all, and don't even get him started on the aliens in the group.

Tony shrugged.

"That can't be helped," he replied. "And there isn't anything secret about it. Besides, if they see a shield like that, it's just going to make this place more secure. The word will spread that we have a cool new toy."

He looked over at Shuri as he said it, and winked.

The Wakandan princess smiled, pleased at the praise.

"Speaking of the new toy," Steve said. "I'm ready to hear exactly how the test went and what we can expect from the thing."

"We set up a debrief in the small theater – rather than a conference room," Natasha told them. "The guard commanders need to be present for enough of it to find out what their roles will be if something happens, so we'll need the extra space."

Everyone started to get up, but Vision turned to Tony.

"I would like a word with you and Peter, please?"

His face rarely showed expression – even though he worked on them, constantly, but there was something about the request that made Wanda's expression turn pained, and Pepper noticed, instantly. She was incredibly adept at reading people (she had to be to make the mergers, deals and business decisions that she did every day – not to mention dealing with Tony and his sideline group of superheroes) and she had no trouble reading Wanda, just then.

"And myself," Pepper added, inviting herself.

"Of course," Vision agreed.

Tony had planned on doing the debrief on the shield, but he looked over at Shuri, who was watching, and he smiled.

"It's your shield, little girl," he told her – and from him, the title wasn't an insult. Especially since she knew he was impressed by her. "Think you can explain to them how it works and what it does?"

She smiled at that.

"Of course."

Stark watched as Clint slid up behind Peter, wrapping his arms around the boy – cloak and all – and started wrestling him to the ground, burning a little energy and helping Peter do the same.

"You might need to use little words for some of them…" he added.

Clint looked up, holding Peter, still, but trying to move his head to avoid the cloak as it tugged on his ear.

"I _heard_ that…"

Natasha chuckled, and offered Peter a hand up before she and the others began to head for the door.

"We'll catch up," Tony assured them. He turned to Vision. "Let's go to our quarters."

He had a feeling they were going to want a little privacy.

OOOOOO

They were silent as they walked, but that wasn't unusual for Vision – or Wanda. Vision really didn't have the capacity to make small talk (although it was another thing that he was practicing) and Wanda's abilities made small talk pretty much unnecessary. She knew how others were doing without needing to ask them, and certainly wasn't interested in the weather very often.

When they reached the entrance to Tony and Pepper's suite of rooms, however, she looked at Peter.

"How are you handling being so close to the mind stone?"

He hesitated, uncertain why she looked so tense – as if afraid he was going to give her the wrong answer.

"I'm okay. Really."

If he was hoping that that reassured her, he was wrong. Her expression tensed, even more.

"No pain? No fever?"

He shook his head, and then tilted it to avoid the cloak's caress on his ear.

"No. Nothing more than I'm getting having the cloak all over me, right now. It's not too bad, anymore. Alec can buffer it, and he does."

"What's going on, Wanda?" Tony asked. "Why do you look worried? Beyond what we already know is going on, that is?"

He hadn't missed how tense she was, either.

"She is upset, Tony," Vision said, before Wanda could. "We are having a bit of a disagreement."

Wanda scowled – something Peter hadn't seen her do, before – and there was a flash of annoyance across her lovely face. He felt Alec stir inside his mind, and knew the ancient sorcerer had read something in her that he wasn't sharing, just then. Unusual, since Wanda's mind was almost certainly a closed book to others because of her abilities.

"Yes. Because you're determined to kill yourself," she snapped. "Of course I'm upset."

"I won't die."

"Wait…" Tony help up his hand. "One of you tell me what's going on."

He didn't want two such powerful personalities squabbling in his close quarters. That was a recipe for disaster.

"He wants to give Peter the stone," Wanda said.

There was a thundering silence in the room at the statement, and it was Pepper who finally spoke.

"What?" she asked. "You mean the mind stone?"

Vision nodded.

"Yes."

"You can do that?" Pepper asked, looking at the stone in the middle of the construct's forehead. "Won't… I mean… it's part of you, right? Wouldn't you die?"

"I'm technically not _alive_ as you think of the term," Vision told her, calmly. "But no. The stone gives me enormous power, but it isn't what keeps my synapsis connected. I would still retain my connection-"

"You'd lose almost everything," Wanda interrupted.

"Why would you want to do that?" Tony asked. He looked at Peter, who was staring, dumbly, at all of them. "She's right. The mind stone is what gives you the ability to animate. You'd be nothing more than a super-hyped quantum computer without it."

Vision shrug.

"It's necessary. The stone itself has been telling me this."

"It wants you to give it to Peter?" Pepper repeated.

"I can't wield it," Peter objected, appalled at the idea. "It'd _kill_ me."

"You will have to think of a way," Vision told him. "Because it is necessary that you do. A gauntlet would be best – such as the one Gamora has described that Thanos wears. With the mind stone and the time stone both in your control, you-"

"Stephen has the time stone," Tony interrupted.

"For _now_," Vision agreed. "But that will change. When it needs to. Peter is destined to face Thanos, and in order to do so, he's going to need as much power to back him up as he can handle."

"They'd kill me…" Peter said. "I can't-"

"Wait. This isn't a good idea," Pepper told them all. "He's _right_. They'll kill him."

"Not to mention, we need you at your best when Thanos comes," Tony added. "You're too valuable an ally to let you do this."

Vision shrugged, and Wanda scowled, again.

"He has a different role in mind for himself," she said. "Once you remove the stone."

"What?" Tony asked, curiously.

The construct looked at Pepper and at Tony.

"You're building a new suit."

He didn't need to ask how Vision knew that. Vision knew _everything_. He was connected to Friday and every computer, network and system on the planet. There was very little he didn't know.

"Yes. For _Pepper_."

"An amazing new suit. That will be capable of everything that your Ironman suit can do."

"Right. Although she won't be able to utilize it all, of course."

"Because…?"

"Because I can't teach her to use it in the short time we have – presuming everything happens as soon as people are thinking that it's going to happen…"

"I can."

"What?"

"I can teach her to use it. I helped you learn how to use your initial suit."

Tony frowned.

"You didn't. You weren't even around. It was JAR-"

"JARVIS…" Vision finished. "And he's a part of me. I know everything the new suit can and will be able to do, and Friday can't effectively be the AI for both."

"You want to be Rescue's AI?" Peter asked, shocked.

"It would be the best role for me with the stone gone. The best way for me to contribute."


	39. Chapter 39

"You have news?"

"We've narrowed down the options. I suspect we'll know which planet we'll find this boy on any day."

"I want him _alive_."

"Of course."

Thanos scowled, looking at Maw. The man was powerful – one of his greatest successes – but this was important. This boy could make his destiny come true. He needed him alive, and needed to make sure someone didn't 'accidentally' damage him.

"Find the planet. I'll take care of the rest." He paused. "I want an impressive showing, however. A reminder of the consequences of saying no can be."

"I'll see to it."

"Do that." Thanos nodded, feeling smug and satisfied, and admiring the stone that was in the golden gauntlet on his hand. "Soon I''ll have them all, and the universe will thank me for saving it."

"Of course. I've sent people looking for the missing minion."

"I'm not worried about her," Thanos said, waving his hand, negligently. "When the time comes, everything will fall together. The universe has been moving toward this moment since the stones were scattered. They'll find their way to me when I need them. The boy will call them, if nothing else."

OOOOOO

"It'll kill you," Wanda said – and the way she said it made it clear that this was a conversation (argument) that the two had had more than once, already.

"No. I can't be killed," Vision told her. "I'm more than capable of surviving without the stone – it just makes me greater."

Maximoff looked at Tony, who was frowning at Vision, clearly still trying to process what he was hearing – and trying to come up with his own arguments to keep the mind stone where it was. He certainly didn't want the thing in Peter's grasp and had been counting on its permanent position to protect the boy from being a wielder of any of the infinity stones.

"He's right about that," Stark conceded. "The mind stone isn't what brought him to life – that was Thor. The mind stone is a focus, but Vision would still be sentient if it were removed."

"Can you do it, though?" Pepper asked – and obviously she wasn't any more enamored of the idea than Wanda. "It would take so long…"

"It _wouldn't_," Vision told her – and Wanda. "My synapsis are designed to work collectively. Anyone with the right tools could remove it with only a few minutes work – as long as they didn't actually touch the stone, itself.."

"Leaving you a vegetable," Tony said.

Vision shook his head. It only took a moment for him to access and understand that Tony didn't mean it literally.

"You of all people know that wouldn't be the case." Vision shrugged, and his look at Wanda was almost apologetic. "It's what I want," he said. "And what I'm being told is required. When the time comes, I want a promise that one of you will take the mind stone out and allow me to interface with Rescue and help."

"And when it's over?" Wanda asked, and Peter found that he could actually feel waves of emotional anguish hitting him in a barrage of angst. "Then what?"

"Then they put it back where it belongs," Vision told her, calmly. "And I'll relinquish the AI responsibilities to whatever system Tony makes for it. Presuming Peter is willing to give up the stone once he's finished with it…" he added, looking at the boy.

"I don't want it," Peter said, and his eyes were watering, now, tears stinging them. He wasn't capable of handling Wanda's agony as well as the own guilt that he was suddenly feeling. This was all his fault.

"_It isn't,"_ Alec told him, as his knees gave way, and he was forced to take Tony's shoulder for support. Stark guided him over to the arm of the sofa, and eased him down, and then stepped up, holding Peter, who leaned his forehead against his father's solar plexis, soaking in the comfort that he was giving him. Alec was working on buffering the emotional backlash from Wanda – while she was forcing herself under control, realizing what she was doing to the boy. "None of this is on you. But you're clearly the best solution."

"You okay?" Tony murmured, stroking Peter's hair, unaware of the conversation going on in his mind and warring, silently, with the cloak over who was going to caress his cheek, next.

"I'm sorry…" Peter said into Tony's shirt. "Just give me a minute…"

"I'm sorry, too," Wanda told him, and now Peter felt the emotions fade, entirely. Either Wanda brought it under control, or Alec was buffering him – or both. "I know better than to allow myself to get worked up like that. It's just…" she looked at Vision, helplessly, and Pepper put an arm around her, understanding completely.

"It just seems so terrible," Pepper finished, and Wanda dissolved into tears of her own – even though Peter didn't feel a resurgence of sorrow coming from her.

"Yes."

Pepper looked at Tony as she soothed Wanda, and he continued to hold Peter.

"You _can_ put him back together, again?" she asked. "You're sure of it?"

"He created me," Vision reminded her, calmly. He, of course, was unaffected by Wanda's breakdown – although Tony and Pepper were, as well. Just not as much as Peter, who was (as ever) sensitive to everything going on around him. "It will be simple."

"He's right, Pep," Tony told her, not taking his arms from around Peter. "Bruce and I know him better than anyone. Either of us could do it. And we _will_," he assured Wanda.

"It's settled then," Vision said, looking far more confident than the others in the room. "We will remain in the compound for a while. I don't have to be separated from the mind stone in order to begin teaching you to use your new suit – and we need to be near at hand."

"We might have a year, or more," Tony reminded him, looking down at Peter, who had stopped crying, but was still holding him.

"No…" Vision's expression remained passive, but his tone changed. "Thanos knows where Peter is. He's going to be coming, soon."

"How do-?" Tony interrupted himself. "The mind stone telling you this?"

"It's hinting at it, yes."

"How much time do we have?"

"I'm not completely certain."

"Days? Hours?"

"Not hours. Perhaps several days."

"It takes time to gather an army," Wanda said – and they were all reminded that Wanda had her own connection with the infinity stones. She gave a sniff, and pulled away from Pepper's embrace with a slight smile of thanks. "Many days, still. I think."

"_Days_?" Tony looked down at the boy he was holding, but Peter still had his face buried in his shirt, not ready to release him. The cloak was rubbing his ears, lovingly, but the boy was suddenly tired, and very much in need of Tony's support. "You're sure?"

"No. I'm sorry. It's not guaranteed. I don't want to raise an alarm and not be right about it."

"But we will stay here," Vision repeated. "So we are where we're needed."

Tony nodded, looking at Pepper.

"We'll make sure there's a room for you guys."

"Thank you." Vision looked at Peter, and then back to Tony. "I did not mean to upset him."

Or Wanda, obviously.

"It's okay," the billionaire assured him. "It's been a rough week."

"We are going to go listen to the debriefing on the shield," Wanda said.

Not that Vision needed to hear what Shuri was telling the others; he was already aware of all the results from her tests. But Wanda wanted to allow Peter a chance to recover his equilibrium from her loss of control, and knew that Tony and Pepper were the ones to help him do it.

"We'll be along, shortly," Tony said, nodding.

They left, closing the door behind them, and Pepper moved to stand beside the arm of the sofa that Peter was sitting on. Her hand went to his back, caressing it – and the cloak.

"Do you hurt?" she asked the boy.

Just to be sure.

"No." his voice was muffled, but he shook his head. "I was just caught by surprise, and Alec wasn't able to buffer her, completely."

"But he's handling the mind stone, right?" Tony asked. "It's not hurting you?"

"I'm okay." Peter pulled back, a little, looking up at Tony, and then at Pepper. His brown eyes were damp, and red-rimmed, but Tony's shirt had kept his cheeks from being smeared with tears. "We can go to the debriefing…"

Tony shook his head before Pepper had a chance to, and he brushed his hand along Peter's hair, once more.

"We'll stay here a while, instead," he said. "I don't need a debriefing, and Shuri can tell you what you want to know, later, over dinner, or something. We'll just hang out for a while, okay?"

"Okay." It was a measure of how tired he was that he didn't even argue. He just leaned back into Tony's embrace. "Not for long, though."

"Sure."

He looked at Pepper and mouthed, silently, '_for as long as he needs_…'

She nodded her agreement, and rubbed Peter's back, soothingly. With any luck, they'd put him to sleep for a while and let him get some real rest.


	40. Chapter 40

He didn't fall asleep. Despite the best efforts of Tony and Pepper sitting on either side of him, bolstering him, and the cloak humming a lullaby in his mind. He felt better, though, by the time Friday announced to Tony that the debriefing on the shield was breaking up, and he leaned into Pepper, slightly, in thanks, before he got to his feet.

"I'm going to go talk to Shuri," he told them. "I want to see what the final result was on the density per square inch on the shield."

Tony rolled his eyes; what a nerd.

"If you need us, we'll be around, close."

"Thanks."

He left their quarters, then, and Pepper moved over, so she was sitting next to her husband.

"Is it my imagination, or is he handling this better than I am?"

Even with the breakdown – which they both knew was caused by Wanda's proximity and her distress over the situation and not Peter, himself.

"He is," Tony agreed, putting his arm around her. "Better than I am, too."

Of course, Tony knew that Peter had been dealing with crazy, awful, things for most of his life. An impending alien invasion was probably just another in the long list. Pepper sighed and leaned into him.

"What are you going to do about Vision?"

"Nothing I _can_ do, really," Tony told her, turning his head and resting his chin on the top of her head. "I helped build him, but I certainly don't _own_ him – and I have no say in what he does and doesn't do." Tony sighed, too. "He's _right_, though, when he said that he'd be ideal as an AI for the Rescue suit."

"What would that entail?"

"Having the AI?"

"Having it be _Vision_."

"Same as me having Friday. Keeps track of everything going on around you – in case you can't. And it's hard to watch everything yourself, believe me. Also will control all systems, monitor everything the suit is doing as well as allow constant communication with others on the net. In this case me, Friday and Karen."

"I'd have instant access to Peter?"

"Through Karen, yes."

"And once everything is done… you weren't just trying to reassure Wanda when you said that you could put the stone back where it belongs and Vision would be alright, again?"

"No. We never really intended that he rely on the thing, in the first place. We were using it for its innate power. His system is ambiguous as far as the stone. Alive with it, or without – he would just lose a lot of what makes him unique if we removed it."

"His soul?"

Tony shrugged.

"I'm not the one to ask about if he has a soul, honey."

She sighed, and hugged him, briefly, and then stood up.

"I'm going to go check on the suit's progress."

Not surprisingly, Vision's determination to get the mind stone to Peter, and his certainty that things were going to be coming to a head much sooner than any of them were really anticipating had her antsy.

"I'll come with you," Tony told her, also getting up. "We'll see where we're at – and this way I'll be right there if you have a question about something."

She nodded, and they left their quarters, as well.

OOOOOOO

Peter only had to ask Friday where the debriefing had been to know where to go. There were several people filing out of the room as he walked up to the door, and all of them greeted him in one way or another as they passed by.

"Everything okay?" Natasha asked, stopping at the door and moving to the side to let a couple of the military and SHIELD people exit.

Stephen and Wong were both with her, and both stopped, as well, watching him.

"Oh…" Peter hesitated, uncertain. Not because he didn't trust any of them, but he didn't know what to tell them. He had no idea what Stephen was going to think when the sorcerer heard that Vision was certain Peter was going to end up with the time stone, after all. "It's a mess…" he finally said, honestly. "But I can't really explain it as well as Tony and Vision can."

"Anything we can do?" Stephen asked.

Peter shrugged.

"Probably already doing it," he told them. "How was the meeting?"

"Interesting," Wong said, surprising Peter. The sorcerer wasn't really all that interested in tech – and no wonder, since he could do so many things with magic. "Shuri is a _very_ bright young woman."

Strange rolled his eyes.

"He's always on the look out for an apprentice. Even if it's a princess – in _every_ sense of the word."

That made Peter smile, as had almost certainly been the intent.

"T'Challa might not approve," he told the magicians.

"Might not approve of what?" Shuri asked, curiously, walking out into the hallway just in time to hear the comment.

"Of you becoming a magician," Natasha said, well aware that the Wakandans were still under the surety that the magic that Stephen and Wong both had demonstrated in front of them was simply high-end tech.

The girl smiled at that, looking at the two men and then at Peter, who shrugged.

"He would not approve, I am certain. I do not even own a magic wand."

Wong rolled his eyes, knowing she was messing with them, now, and even Stephen managed an amused smile.

"We're going to go set up the bolt hole," Strange said – mostly to Peter. "It's a bit more complicated than I anticipated – making sure anyone can open it is complicated – but we'll test it with Natasha, first, and then I want you to come try to activate it, later."

"Sure." He had a feeling that Strange wanted to make sure he and Natasha were both capable of utilizing the portal because he wanted to make sure that they had an escape route if something went really, really wrong. It was one of those thought that counts kind of things, Peter knew, because Natasha wouldn't turn and run if things went south on them. "I'm going to borrow Shuri for a while, first," he told them – including Shuri. "We'll be in my quarters."

"Good enough."

Natasha looked at him.

"Need anything?"

"I'm good. Thanks. You?"

She smiled, impishly.

"A _kiss_?"

Peter rolled his eyes, ignoring Shuri's grin, and offered Romanoff his cheek. She took his face in her hands and held him still while she planted a kiss on his mouth. Fleeting, of course, but more than enough to make Peter smile, too, and shake his head.

"Better watch out," he warned, when she released him. "I think your _boyfriend_ might be watching."

Natasha winked at him.

"We'll see you later."

They parted ways, then; the magicians and Romanoff going toward the gym, and Peter and Shuri heading for his rooms where it would be quieter. The compound was filled with visitors. These days – and would probably only have more as the weeks went by.

"How was your debriefing?" he asked.

"It went well. They are all bright enough that I did not have to explain myself, repeatedly. It was odd, though, when Captain Danvers mentioned trying to break through the shield – just to see if she could do it, and the talking racoon said that he would like to see it attempted."

"He said that?"

"I am almost certain he was joking, but it is hard to read his expression. And I have never spoken to a talking tree, before – but Groot was not interested in the shield. He was just playing with the game he had."

"Yeah. I think he's just along for the ride, really," Peter said. He knew that feeling, sometimes.

"Wanda Maximoff came in, part way through – with Vision," Shuri said. "I would like you to introduce me to them, formally, if you would, please? He seems fascinating."

"Yeah. I think they're going to be around a while." They reached his door, and Peter opened it for her, and found himself immediately being accosted by his kitten, who wasn't happy to have been left to his own devices for the afternoon, and was making sure Peter was informed of it. "Hey, big guy…" he said, plucking the kitten off of his pants leg and pressing his face into his furry belly.

Shuri walked into the living room area and reached down to pick up the Ironman doll, still in its polymorph cage.

"Trade you?"

Peter grinned and handed the kitten over to his friend, taking the doll – cage and all – and setting it back up on its shelf, after making sure it was all still in one piece. Polymorph _and_ doll, both.

"Tell me about the shield test results," he requested, bringing up a display for her. "What kind of power fluctuations did you find? What are we looking at for full activation time?"

Shuri smiled, and settled his kitten into one hand, using the other to swipe information onto his display.

"It was very interesting. Especially since the area is much smaller than what the shield covers back home."

He sat down on the sofa and gave her his full attention, well aware that Tony might want to ask him some questions once he came looking for his own debriefing, and wanting to be ready if that happened. Easier to just have Shuri give Tony a little of her time, too, but you never knew.


	41. Chapter 41

"So is this going to be a one way portal?" Natasha asked, her hand lightly stroking Ironpig's head.

"What do you mean?" Strange asked, looking up from where he was studying the area, debating exactly how much space he wanted around the terminus of the portal when it was opened.

"We can activate it from here," Natasha clarified. "Could Thor activate it on Asgard?"

"Yes."

"We want people to be able to bolt for the safety of Asgard," Wong said. "But we need to be able to let them come home, as well, when all is said and done and the way is safe."

"Is that entirely wise?"

"The terminus is going to only be Asgard," Stephan assured her. "The only person there who might pose a problem is _Loki_, really, and if he steps through the portal he'll turn inside out - and he knows it."

"Not to mention, we're going on the assumption that he won't ever _want_ to see a portal again," Wong added. "Much less go through one."

"And we don't have to worry about someone using it against us?" Romanoff clarified – always cautious when it came to the security of those around her. "Someone opening it on a different planet and linking it here and bringing an army right into the center of the room – and the compound?"

"No. We've already considered that. Strictly between here and Asgard – and, if it'll make you more comfortable – we'll set a protocol of our own that will only allow activation by an Asgardian or by someone here."

"I'd feel better," she admitted.

"Done."

He looked over at Wong, who nodded. Both men flicked their fingers in a gesture that Natasha had seen them make several times – although usually it was one or the other, rarely both. A moment later there was a bit of a flare in the air around that area of the gym, and then it was gone. Natasha frowned, still holding the piglet – who was wearing a green sweater.

"Well?"

"It's set," Wong told her, looking smug. "Give it a try."

"How?"

Stephen pointed to a small mark on the wall close by. It was a replica of the symbol that was on the window at the sanctum.

"Touch it in a circular motion – give me the pig."

She handed Ironpig over to the sorcerer supreme and touched the wall as she'd been told. A moment later a portal appeared, forming against the wall itself. Through it they could see the brightly lit world of Asgard.

"The portal opens to the field," Wong said. "It was that or the great hall – and that would have been a disaster, of course."

Romanoff had been there when the magicians were discussing the options with Thor.

"The field is a much better choice."

If they needed to escape in a group, there would be more room for them to assemble on the other side of the portal – and it was far enough from the populace that no one would be injured when it opened.

Strange gave her the pig back.

"I'd like to talk to Tony, unless you need me for anything else?"

"Is it impolite to ask what about?"

"It might be, but I think the rules change for people who are seeing each other," Stephen told her as she put Ironpig into his pen, checking – like everyone did when they stopped to see the piglet – that he had food and fresh water. "Wanda looked upset when she and Vision arrived at the briefing – or maybe I actually _felt_ her emotions. If I understand the look that Mantis gave her, I'd say she's _upset_ about something. I need to make sure it isn't anything that we can help with."

"Let's go find out."

Wong followed them; well aware that Stark wouldn't mind his presence and deciding that it would be better to have first hand knowledge if there was something that he needed to know about.

OOOOO

She was well and truly lost and she knew it. She also knew, now, that that had been the whole idea in the first place. The little shuttle had landed, and the world it had landed on was bleak and scary. Darkness was almost perpetual, no matter which part of the planet she was on – presuming that she was reading the display properly.

So scary, though, that she didn't get out of the shuttle, except for when she absolutely had to in order to take care of her basic needs. She hurried right back in, though, and shivered, despite the artificial warmth of the shuttle being turned on enough that she should have been perfectly fine. A glance out the view screen showed a mountain in front of her, and the place made her shiver, again, as she thought about what kind of terrible creatures or people might be at the top – or in the shadows of the thing.

She held the small orb in her hand, and reached for a blanket, huddling under it in fear, and wishing that her master had given the task she was undertaking to someone else. Someone braver than she was.

OOOOOOO

"So what do you think?" Rocket asked, standing on a chair at the bar, holding a drink, but not drinking it just yet. He was looking at Gamora, just then, but Quill was right beside her – as was Drax and Mantis. Groot had gone to one of the sofas and was playing one of the video games the lounge offered, watching a display on the wall as he manipulated the controls and tried to save a made-up world that only existed in the minds of its creators. The other guardians had a much more real world on their minds, just then. "Will the shield do any good?"

They'd all understood what the little girl was telling them – and Rocket had been impressed. Both by the shield technology and by the kid, herself. She was genius level, and held her head up and hadn't been afraid to look any of them in the eye as she explained what they had learned from their tests.

Even when the much older military men had begun questioning her, she'd simply given them their answers – and her own opinions.

"It might hold back some of the army that Thanos commands," Gamora said. "But it will not hold for more than a moment against the stone."

"It's pretty impressive," Quill disagreed. "It looks more powerful than what the Nova Corps had."

"Which doesn't mean anything," she reminded him. "They lost."

"I want to kill Thanos," Drax said, leaning against the bar. "If they put the shield up around this place, I will make sure to be on the other side."

"Unless Thanos is inside the shield by the time they get it up?" Rocket asked, pointedly.

"I will be on whatever side Thanos is on," he amended. "For what he did to Xander, he deserves it."

They were all in agreement with that, of course.

"The mind stone is very powerful," Mantis said, suddenly, shivering. "I did not like being near it."

"Because of the creepy guy that has it stuck in his head?" Rocket asked.

"He _is_ creepy-looking, isn't he?" Quill agreed.

"He is not flesh and blood," Mantis reminded them. She, of course, would know better than any of them. "He is a construct."

"A good one," Gamora said, shaking her head. "He has to be, in order to be able to handle the power of the mind stone, directly, like that. Thanos would love to take it from him. We'll have to make sure someone warns him to keep clear when Thanos comes."

"Maybe he can portal out."

"He will not leave," Mantis said, firmly.

Quill frowned.

"How do you know?" he asked. "I thought you couldn't read him."

"I can't. I can't really read his friend, much, either – she is very powerful and tainted with the same power. But he will not leave."

She didn't know how she knew that, but she did.

OOOOOOO

They found Tony and Pepper in the workroom. Not hard to locate, since all Natasha had to do was ask Friday. And then call Tony to see if they were busy. When they were given the go-ahead, all three went to the workroom, knocking politely, first, but then letting themselves in.

Pepper was standing beside a manufacturing pod, watching the activity inside. Tony was standing at a display. Both looked concerned, but stopped what they were doing when the three closed the door behind them.

"Everything alright?" Tony asked. "Do we have an escape portal?"

"In the gym," Stephen confirmed. "Natasha tried it, and it worked as intended."

"Thank you."

He'd activate the stupid thing and throw Peter through it, if he had to, but it was a relief to know there was a way to get the boy to safety, now, if things went seriously wrong. Which he anticipated.

"You're welcome."

Romanoff looked at the suit that was taking place behind the clear shielding of the pod, before turning to Tony and Pepper. She was never one to beat around the bush, really, and now was no exception.

"Anything we need to know about?" she asked.

The billionaire nodded, looking at Pepper, who came over to stand beside him.

"Yeah. You need to know what Wanda and Vision are planning."

Stephen frowned at the serious expression on his friend's face – scared, maybe?

"Tell me it doesn't have anything to do with the Mind stone…"

Tony shrugged. He wasn't surprised; Stephen was a genius, after all.

"Not just the mind stone," he told them. "You definitely need to hear tis."


	42. Chapter 42

No one interrupted Tony as he told the others what Vision had told him and Pepper, and Stephen's expression when they were finished was almost resigned, more than anything.

"You don't seem to surprised," Tony said to his friend.

"I'm not," Strange admitted.

"Things seem to be hurtling toward Peter wielding the stones against Thanos," Wong said. "I've been researching with the other sanctums and have found a few more references that could be indicators that the stones are destined to be gathered. Clearly Thanos has found some of those references and assumes that he is the one intended to hold them."

"Other prophesies?" Pepper asked.

"I _hate_ that word," Tony told them all with a scowl.

"So do I," Stephen agreed. "But we don't have a better word to call them, right now." He frowned. "I have to admit that if it comes down to it being Peter holding them, or _Thanos_ holding them, I would prefer it be Peter."

"We know _he_ doesn't want to dominate the universe," Wong added. "Or destroy half of it."

"The _problem_ is I don't see how he can do it," the sorcerer supreme said. "The power of the stones – even a _single_ one – is ridiculous. I wield the time stone, but can't hold onto it, directly. Only through the buffering of the eye of agimoto can I use it – and _I'm_ not sensitive like Peter is to all of them."

"He's _stronger_, though," Wong pointed out – and it was obviously a conversation the sorcerers had had before. "If Alec is capable of protecting Peter from his own sensitivities, the boy's enhancements could keep him alive."

Tony didn't look reassured – and neither did Pepper.

"What do we do?"

"Wait and see how things unfold," Strange said. "I'm not going to bring the time stone anywhere near Peter – or Thanos – if I can avoid it. If I have my way, he won't even find out that the thing is here."

"As far as we know, he's coming for _Peter_," Wong reminded them. "Scary, yes, but if he knew we have not just one, but _two_ infinity stones here, then I imagine it would change things, considerably. The threat would be to the entire planet, then, and we'd have very little hope of containing it here, where we can try to mitigate the dangers and damage."

Tony nodded.

"Good point."

"Not to mention, if we keep everything _here_, we can bring the others to help, and not keep our resources scattered."

"You mean the other magicians?" Pepper clarified.

"Right. The sanctums will assist, because they know the dangers we're facing if we fail, here. The infinity stones are the biggest danger," Strange said. "But not the _only_ danger. If any of these creatures get into any of the sanctums, they could wreak serious havoc with the relics found there."

"Not to mention the loss of knowledge if any of them were leveled," Wong added.

"We need you to allow all of the sorcerers to come here, though," Strange told them. "Like us, they actually need to have _been_ someplace before they can jump there – or make a portal."

"They can come whenever it's convenient for them," Tony said. "I assume you'll be with them, though?"

"We'll bring them a couple at a time."

"I trust you, you know that."

Strange nodded. And then looked at the suit inside the build chamber.

"How long until it's finished?"

"Tomorrow."

"And it'll do everything yours will?"

"It isn't nanotech," Tony said. "But it's as good as any of the later models of my initial suit – and with Vision as AI, it'll be even more effective."

It was clear that Tony was onboard with the idea of Vision being in the Rescue suit. Of course, anything that would make Pepper safer was always a plus, as far as he was concerned. Since he had no say in the removal of the mind stone – he didn't _own_ Vision, after all – he was going to accept the request the construct had made.

It would also – hopefully – make Wanda feel better if she knew that he was still around, even though she couldn't actually touch him. She might – probably – could interact with him, even if he was linked to the suit.

"Anything we can do?" Wong asked.

"You're doing it. Thank you."

OOOOOOOO

It was close to dinner time when Tony called Peter to see what they were doing and if they were ready to eat. Since they'd finished talking about the shield and had moved on to what they thought the aliens might look like that might come invade the earth, it was probably just as well that the conversation was interrupted. Neither knew much more about aliens than what they'd seen on TV, or in movies (and Peter had a lot more experience with movies than she did) and the skrull that they'd seen. Alec was an alien, but Peter didn't actually know what he looked like, beyond vague glimpses that were brought up by the mind stone, they were bound to just work themselves into nightmares, visualizing tentacles and big, gaping jaws with sharp teeth.

"_Ready to eat?"_

Peter nodded, even though Tony couldn't see it.

"Yeah. In the lounge?"

"_We were thinking in our quarters. Ask Shuri if she minds joining us there, or if she'd rather eat in the lounge with the others."_

Peter looked at the girl, who shrugged.

"She doesn't mind," Peter interpreted. "When?"

"Come any time."

OOOOOOO

Tony and Pepper had long since put a small table in their living area, near the wet bar. It was purposely designed to be the place where they could eat meals when they wanted to do it as a family – and not be in the lounge. Not large, but with three comfortable chairs and a couple of folding chairs stashed behind the bar just in case they had company. At the moment, it was set for four, and there were covered dishes on the bar that were giving off the wonderful aroma of pasta, sauces and fresh bread.

Peter and Shuri joined them, and the boy gestured for Shuri to take the comfortable chair that he normally sat in while he went to get one of the folding chairs. Tony was holding Ironpig, and tucked him under one arm before he stood when Shuri sat down, and Pepper smiled at both teens, although Peter thought she looked a little worried.

Pretty much the same expression that Tony wore, lately.

"How was the debriefing?" Pepper asked, taking Nutmeg from Peter so she could cuddle the kitten while Peter set his chair up.

"Shuri knows her stuff," Peter said, obviously impressed with his friend. He set the chair down across from Shuri and sat down. "How is the suit coming?"

Pepper kissed Nutmeg and then put him down on the floor, while Tony did the same with his piglet – sans the kiss.

"It's looking good," Pepper told him. "Friday says it'll be finished tomorrow."

"May I stay long enough to see the initial trial?" Shuri asked, hopefully.

She was – technically – finished with the shield and should be going home, now. Especially with so much danger looming on the horizon at the compound. It had been one of the first things that T'Challa had told her before allowing her to leave, after all. There, do what needed to be done, and then home to relative safety.

Tony nodded, though. He'd anticipated the request.

"I spoke with your brother, earlier," he said, as he started dishing up their meal. "He's going to come for the trial, and when it's done and you are all suitably (pardon the pun) impressed, you'll go home with him when he leaves."

Shuri smiled.

"Thank you."

"He wants to see the shield," the billionaire told her. "So he can get an idea of what kind of ground it will cover." Tony gestured for them to all start eating, and he looked over at Peter. "Apparently, with Shuri away from home, just now, the people keeping track of your zebra didn't know who to give their weekly progress report to – so they told Ramonda, who told T'Challa. You will be glad to know that he's doing fine, and is getting big."

Peter smiled.

"Good. Thank you."

The topic lasted through their salad and into the main course, but when Pepper asked Peter if he'd heard from Ned or MJ, recently, the boy nodded, looking a little pained.

"Ned called, earlier. He knows something is up and is fishing for hints."

"Which you didn't give him, right?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. No. I can't. He's too smart. He'd figure it out. Or figure _something_ out, anyway. Flash isn't making it any easier."

Pepper frowned.

"What does he have to do with anything?"

"His dad is in the National Guard."

"He's a surgeon, though, right?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. But he's also an officer," Peter said. "And a supernumerary one." The boy rolled his eyes. "I had to look the word up."

"What does it mean?" Pepper asked, curiously. "I understand the word supernumerary, but how does it apply to the military?"

"He's a _backup_," Peter explained. "If someone has to leave for some reason, or gets sick, Flash's dad would be there to take that person's spot. So he has to be told what's going on. At least, as much as the others are being told."

Now Tony frowned.

"I'm under the impression that the military people have all been told to keep their mouths shut about what's happening. Is this boy's father telling him more than he should be?"

"Flash is dropping hints left and right that he is," Peter said, shrugging. "But he could be lying, of course, just to make Ned and MJ mad. Or because he can't stand the idea of not knowing something."

"I'll speak with Grady, tomorrow," Stark assured him. "We'll put a stop to that."

Peter just shrugged.

"Ned and MJ won't believe anything he says, anyway… they'll just be mad at me that he knows what's happening and they don't."

Which wasn't usually the case. At least as far as _Ned_ was concerned. He was Peter's guy in the chair, after all.

"Still… better to know, for certain."

Pepper nodded her agreement, and then switched the conversation again, wanting to know what else the two had been up to that afternoon.

"I know everything there is to know about the shield," Peter told her, smiling. "And Shuri knows everything there is to know about everyone who is here at the compound, now."

"Perhaps not everything," the girl corrected. "But much more than I did." She gave them an impish smile. "I still have not met Thor, but I do not want the situation to deteriorate so much that he needs to come."

Tony smiled at that.

"We'll see what we can do."

OOOOO

When they finished eating, Tony asked Shuri if she minded giving him his own debriefing of how the shield test had gone, and when she agreed, Peter and Pepper offered to clean up their dinner remains. The billionaire and the Wakandan princess vanished into the workroom, and Pepper and Peter started stacking dishes.

"How are you holding up, sweetheart?" Pepper asked, taking advantage of having him to herself for the moment.

Peter shrugged.

"I'm worried. About you and Tony," he added.

"Us?"

"You're under a lot of stress already, and then all of this stuff about me being the one Thanos is coming after… I know it's a lot."

She nodded.

"It's scary to think about. We've already come close to losing you, you know."

"Yeah." Which was why he was worried about them. And he knew, even as he opened his mouth, that he wasn't going to ease her concerns with his next comment. "I would hold all of the stones and end the threat, if I could. To keep you guys from worrying."

Pepper set the plates that they'd stacked on the bar, and looked at him.

"It'd kill you," she pointed out. "Nothing is worth that."

"Keeping him from hurting you and Tony?" Peter asked. "And Natasha, and the others? And Shuri? And Ned and MJ?"

"We need you, Peter."

He smiled, feeling the love that she was always willing to show him wash over him, just then.

"And I need you. All of you." Peter looked at the door to the workroom, caught her hand and walked her over to the couch, sitting her down and joining her – ignoring Nutmeg, when the kitten jumped up onto the back of the sofa. "Tony and I had a talk one time," he said. "About responsibility."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I told him – and I'm paraphrasing, because it was a while ago – that if you can do something, and you don't… then you're responsible for what happens, after."

"You're talking about when you had Loki trapped in the portal?"

Peter shook his head.

"This was even before that – but it amounts to the same thing. If I can stop Thanos, then I need to, Pepper. Because if I don't, and he managed to wipe out half of the people in the universe, then that would be on me."

"No, it-"

He could see the fear in her expression, and he stopped her, taking her hands in his.

"It _would_." He squeezed her hand, looking down at the mother's ring that was on her finger. The ring that was so important to him. "But even that isn't the main thing."

"What is, then?"

"I don't trust the universe, mom…" he said to her, this time using the title that she allowed him – and _only_ him. "I _don't_. If he snapped his fingers – or said the magic word, or did whatever it is that would make half the people in this place disappear, I _know_ I'd lose you. And Tony. And I can't let that happen. Because as much as you guys need me…? I need you. _More_, even. See?"

She did. But it didn't make it any less scary for her. Pepper hugged Peter close to her, tucking his head under her chin.

"Promise me that you won't do anything stupid…" she said, feeling her eyes sting.

"I won't do anything stupid."


	43. Chapter 43

"Are you sure about this?"

Vision nodded, looking at Wanda, who was literally radiating her distress, and then at Tony.

"Yes."

They were in the workroom. Tony, Pepper, Wanda and Vision. Behind them the Rescue suit was still in the manufacturing unit, but the suit was finished, and was standing, waiting for whatever was to come.

Which was where Vision came in, of course. He presented himself to Tony as soon as Friday announced the suit was completed, right after breakfast. He was networked in with Friday, after all, and what Friday knew, he knew. Stark had barely finished telling Pepper and Peter what was going on, and Shuri had excitedly come almost to her feet, even though she knew nothing was going to happen for a while, since they still had to wait for T'Challa to arrive from Wakanda, and the AI to be integrated.

She'd been shocked to hear that Vision was going to be Rescue's AI, but she wasn't the only one. The word went through the Avengers quickly, because they knew Vision and worried about Wanda. Those visiting who didn't know weren't as interested as they didn't know the ramifications of Vision's decision. But they were all interested in seeing the preliminary test that was going to happen later that afternoon.

Once Tony had a chance to double check all of the systems in the new suit – and then have Friday go over them, as well. Even better, Vision was ready to network into the suit, even though he was still connected to the mind stone – and would be for as long as they could keep it where it belonged. Vision would be the third check of the systems before Tony allowed Pepper to actually be enclosed in it.

The billionaire looked at Wanda, too, his expression making it clear that he understood what she was going through. His words made it even more clear.

"He's going to be fine, Wanda," he assured her. "Integrated with Rescue, he'll still be accessible to you."

"Until the stone comes out."

"Even then. I'll make sure you have a way of communicating with him. A prioritized portal – except for times when Rescue's activated."

She gave him a smile, well aware that he was doing everything that he could to help her with what was – to her, especially – an impossible situation.

"Thank you, Tony."

He nodded, sliding his hand along her shoulder, giving her the support that Vision wasn't capable of giving her, but that she needed, so badly.

"You don't have to be here," he told her. "Peter's up on the roof, he could use the company…"

He knew the boy was a little anxious, as well, although he was trying to hide it from everyone – not wanting them to worry about him.

"I'll join him when the trial starts."

Tony looked at Vision, again, and then went to his display, pressing a spot and releasing the shielding around the manufacturing pod. The suit gleamed blue and silver, and Pepper walked over, looking it over with interest.

"It has breasts…" she suddenly realized – a feature that had been hidden by the pod.

Tony smirked.

"It's form fitting, honey. That isn't _my_ fault."

"Do they have any specific features?" Wanda asked, walking over, as well.

"Are you _trying_ to get me slapped?" Tony asked her, watching as a final diagnostic was completed, and the suit opened. "There is no correct way to answer that."

Pepper smiled.

"True."

Vision went to a chair that was beside the pod and seated himself, leaning back against the back of the chair, with the back of his head against the wall.

"Network is online," he said, his voice soft and his eyes closing. "The integration is commencing… now."

There was a silence in the room, and suddenly Rescue turned on, lights glowing faintly with power. Vision went dark, the stone in his head the only indication of any activation.

Stark looked at his wife.

"Ready?"

She nodded, and stood in front of the suit, her back to it, and a moment later the suit stepped up and folded itself around her, closing with the soft whirring and clicking that told Tony it was sealing itself. Feet, legs, hips, waist arms, chest and then finally the head. Tony tapped his display, and the HUD from Rescue was suddenly showing on it.

"You okay in there, Pep?"

"Yes."

"Vision?"

"Systems are coming online."

"The initial onset will take a few minutes," Tony told Wanda. "After this time, it'll be automatic. The helmet closes, she's online."

"Does it hurt?" Wanda asked.

"No." He frowned. "Pep?"

"We're fine, Tony," came the reassurance. "We'll warm up the systems, and then I'll try walking around before we do anything too extreme."

"Good choice. You need to crawl before you can walk…"

"That isn't how I remember you saying it," Vision said, through Rescue's com – and now Tony thought he could hear just the faintest memory of JARVIS. It made him smile, softly.

"Don't listen to him, Pep. He probably needs to have his systems checked, again."

She just chuckled at that and watched the readouts, getting familiar with them – and with the idea of being enfolded in metal. It would take some getting used to, she supposed.

OOOOOOO

Peter _was_ on the roof. He and Shuri were working with Steve and Grady – as well as a few military guys – on the placement of the rail guns. Basically, he and Shuri were consulting the tablets that they'd used when deciding with Steve and Clint where exactly each would placed for maximum efficiency in fire lines.

Since neither of the teens knew diddly about line of fire and the other military terms, they had deferred to Steve, who had done preliminary scans, had then went over them with Grady and the higher ranking military commanders that were attached to the guard units, and had then suggested they use the morning to get the rail guns placed. The kids were the ones overseeing the installation, though, and Peter had already shown Grady, Lyle and their subordinates how the guns worked. There were simulators – which would be used to train the men and women who were going to be manning the guns.

They weren't too complicated, though.

Also on the roof were Quill and Rocket, who were watching with interest – Rocket always interested in anything that had the name 'gun in it and had invited himself onto the roof, as well.

"Are you certain you can trust something so important to a couple of kids?" an amused voice said, pulling everyone's attention toward the roof access door. "They look fairly _inexperienced_, if you ask my opinion…"

Shuri smiled, pleased at the arrival of her brother – who was watching her with pride as he walked over to where she and Peter were standing. With him were Stephen and Natasha – and Okoye, of course. Steve and Quill walked over to join them, while Rocket watched as one of the rail guns was secured to its couplings.

"No one asked _you_," Shuri told him, primly.

T'Challa laughed at that, his glance seeming nonchalant, but he was actually double-checking to make sure that she wasn't overworking herself or stressing under the responsibility that she'd been given. He wasn't surprised to see that she looked calm. Serious, but not overly concerned. Of course, he knew his sister thrived in technology and pressure situations.

"That is the benefit to being a _king_," he told his impudent sister. "I do not need to wait for someone to ask."

Peter wasn't the only one to smile at that, but before he could say anything, his watched alerted him and he looked at it, just a moment, and then walked to the edge of the roof.

"Heads up," he said, suddenly excited.

Shuri wasn't the only one to walk over, and she frowned when Peter activated his suit, the black armor washing over him and covering him, entirely.

"What-"

Before she could finish the question, there was a sudden roar of thrusters and Ironman was suddenly air bound, soaring by them as he shot into the sky, only to hover about seventy feet off the ground, obviously waiting.

Rocket walked over, looking up, as he stopped beside Peter.

"That's impressive," he said. "But what's he doing?"

A moment later, there was another streaking form – this time blue and silver, and an impromptu cheer went up from Peter's armored form as Rescue soared by the watchers on the roof and flew up to join Ironman, hovering in the sky near him. Ironman waited, clearly placing himself in a protective spot where he could be there if she needed him, but a moment later, Rescue shot into the sky, even further, until the suit was merely a small speck that the others lost in the sun.

Ironman followed, and Peter never wished more than just then that he could fly, too.


	44. Chapter 44

"That's Pepper?" Clint asked, walking over to look up as well.

Peter nodded, but before he could say anything Carol Danvers was also streaking upward into the sky, following the two ironclad forms, and Peter heard Pepper and Tony communicating with each other through their AIs – which allowed Karen to listen in on things. Ironman was acting as a bogey to give her a chance to practice using her sensors – and Carol had come to allow her to do the same with another flying target.

"_Watch out for anyone sneaking up on you_," Tony was saying. _"It's easy to forget what's going on behind you, because you're watching what's happening in front of you."_

_"I can see that."_

Pepper sounded like she was having the time of her life, and it made Peter smile. He deactivated his helmet and looked at the others – who were all looking up, even though the best they could see just then was the glare from Carol's flight and an occasional glint of sunlight off metal when one of the other two moved just right.

"She's practicing finding bogeys in the sky," Peter said, smiling.

Star Lord grinned, looking up.

"Let's give her _another_ one."

Suddenly, he touched the side of his head, activating an odd-looking mask that came over his face, and he, too, was launching into the sky, rockets from some kind of mechanism on his boots sending him shooting upward to join the others in their weird flight.

Peter sent Tony a heads-up to let him know what to expect, but figured it was probably the kind of thing that they wanted Pepper to practice, so he didn't send her a warning.

"Looks like it's pretty successful," Rocket said, clearly waiting to see if someone was going to fall out of the sky.

"That isn't too surprising," Natasha said, her hand along Peter's shoulder. "Tony has the resources to do anything that he sets his mind to doing – and getting Pepper's suit ready was definitely up there on his priorities."

"With good reason," Strange added.

"We'll have to make sure the people using the rail guns know what Rescue, Carol and Peter all look like," Steve added. "It's bad form to shoot down an ally, after all."

"Not Ironman?" Rocket asked.

"Everyone knows what _he_ looks like," Romanoff said.

Peter had to agree to that, but he didn't do much more than nod before Clint frowned, looking the other direction from his vantage point on the roof.

"We have incoming," he said, suddenly.

Peter wasn't the only one to look the same way Hawkeye was looking, and the Ironman suit came swooping by, doing a fly-by of the compound with Rescue, Carol and Star Lord all flanking him like some kind of mixed up Blue Angels grouping. Peter's watch beeped at him at the same time he realized that he knew the car that was heading down the service road toward the compound.

"Hey…"

Tony sounded a little annoyed.

"_Did you invite Ned to our party without telling us?"_ came the question through the communications link.

"No. He didn't _call_, either. I hope he's okay."

"_Go see what he's up to,"_ Tony ordered, flying by, again – and this time it was Carol leading, with Rescue following and Ironman and Quill both doing barrel rolls, obviously trying to outdo the other. He didn't seem too concerned that something was wrong; and with good reason. Ned had a watch if he needed to get in touch with Peter or with Tony. He'd used it before, so they had to assume that he was simply there to check on things. _"Bring him to the lounge."_

"What do I tell him?"

"_Nothing about Thanos or the stones. He might as well meet the guardians, though, if they are around. Let me know if there's an emergency."_

"All right."

"Is that Ned's mom's car?" Natasha asked, watching as the car parked pretty much directly below them at the main entrance.

"Yeah. I'll go see what he's doing."

Peter didn't bother to use the entrance to the stairs. With a negligible flick of his wrist, he shot a strand of webbing at one of the lights, and took a running leap off the roof, swinging down and out of sight for a moment, before landing on the driveway, below.

"The kid knows how to make an exit," Rocket said, approvingly."

Clint just nodded.

OOOOOOO

Ned was just getting out of the car when Peter walked up, disengaging his new suit as he did. Before either could say anything, the foursome flying around the compound did a low altitude fly by, less than a hundred feet right above them, and Ned shaded his eyes as he looked up and watched them until they were out of sight.

"Holy shit, Peter… who's that with Ironman?"

"I'll have to tell you later. Tony wants to know if everything is okay?"

"What?" Ned looked at his friend. "Yeah." He looked a little abashed. "I was… I brought you some homework from the first days of school – and I told _MJ_ that I'd check and make sure you weren't really dead and everyone was just covering it up. She's worried about you."

"Yeah?"

"I am, too. You haven't really been calling too much and keeping up – and that isn't like you."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that. Things are pretty hectic around here. Does your mom know you have her car?"

Ned nodded, handing Peter a backpack.

"She's the one that suggested I come out and check on you instead of calling. '_Easier to get forgiveness than permission_' were her exact words. You know how she is; you're like the scrawny, pale, curly-haired son that she never had."

Peter laughed at that.

"Tony said to take you to the lounge."

"What's going on on the roof?"

"We're setting up some stuff."

"With the military?"

"Yeah. Colonel Gradymatson is here – the one that helped dig us out in Montana."

"Cool. Why?"

"Can't tell you, sorry." He shouldered the backpack. "Come on."

"_Seriously_? It's that big?"

"It's… I can't tell you. _Really_."

"I'm your guy in the chair."

"Not for _this_ one. But you've _got_ to meet some of the others that are here," Peter said, trying to distract his friend. "You won't believe them."

"Who's flying around?"

"What are the new classes like?" Peter asked, ignoring the question.

Ned wasn't to be denied.

"You're not going to tell me?"

"Not unless Tony says it's alright. Come on."

"He wouldn't care."

"Probably not, but he's too busy to give me permission, right now, so you need to wait. You know if it was anyone else that just came driving up like you did, they wouldn't have gotten past the front door," he reminded his friend.

Ned grinned at that, because he _did_ know.

"Are you injured, at all?" he asked as they walked into the compound and started down the corridor that led to the lounge. "Something you're not telling us?"

"No. I'm okay. Really. This thing… It's not me." For a change. "We have some people visiting from space, though. One of them was flying with Tony."

"Aliens?"

"Not the one flying. He's actually _from_ here."

"The compound?"

"_Earth_," Peter corrected. "The others aren't, though. They're-"

Peter stopped, because Ned had stopped. Right in the middle of the corridor. Coming toward the was Groot, with Drax and Mantis, and the young tree was once more holding Nutmeg.

"What the _hell_?"

Peter smiled.

Yeah. This was going to take a while to explain, wasn't it?


	45. Chapter 45

Peter stopped to give the guardians a chance to reach them, putting a steadying hand on Ned's shoulder – just to make sure his friend didn't faint or something. He wasn't worried about him running away; Ned had already seen more weird things hanging out with Peter than anyone outside of magicians and Avengers had, and had handled it all with the same aplomb that he handled everything else that came with being Peter's friend.

This one might be a little harder to ease him into, however.

"Hey guys," he said. "This is my friend, Ned. Ned, this is Drax – the Destroyer – and Mantis and Groot. They're visiting here with a couple of others."

Ned offered Mantis his hand, first, being that she was female. He'd seen Tony interacting with the women around him enough to have learned a few things, after all. He even managed not to stare – too much.

"Nice to meet you. You're from space?"

"We travel through space," Drax corrected. "We are from various worlds. You are from earth?"

"Yeah. Queens. Like Peter."

"I am groot?"

Ned couldn't help but stare at the tree. It was just a little more than even he could take without a second look. Peter answered the question.

"Yeah. He's pretty good at them, too." At Ned's glance, his friend smiled. "He asked if you play video games, too."

"He plays _video games_?" Ned asked, eyes wide.

"It is all he does," Mantis confirmed.

"Are you guys going to the lounge?"

"We're looking for Peter," Drax said. "He and Rocket are going to ask you to take them to get more sweets from the merchant and I wanted to find out what other options there are aside from the protein and bread on the stick."

Ned frowned.

"Corndogs," Peter translated. "Rocket's on the roof, but Peter is flying with Tony and Rescue and Carol. They were going to meet me in the lounge when they're done. You can come, and Ned and I can tell you what else the gas station has to offer."

And Ned could have a chance to check out the aliens before Tony and Pepper sent him packing, because Peter knew that his friend wasn't going to be allowed to stay. As much as his folks both liked Ned, they would be concerned for his safety, first, and wouldn't want him to know what was going on. Ned could keep a secret; he proved that by not telling anyone that Peter was Spider man, after all, but this one was even scarier.

"A good plan."

"You don't like corndogs?" Ned asked, incredulously. "Why not?"

"They are questionable," Drax replied as they all turned and headed for the lounge.

"Well… yeah. But they're _good_."

Drax didn't look convinced.

OOOOOO

They landed in the field, and all four of them were smiling. There was nothing like a wild flight to make the heart beat a little faster, after all. Pepper retracted the helmet on the rescue suit just as Peter's mask came off and Tony's nanotech bared his head and face. He had been watching carefully to his systems, which had been monitoring Rescue's, of course, and he'd been suitably impressed.

"That was exhilarating," Pepper said, looking at her husband.

Tony nodded his agreement, his eyes lit up with pride at just how amazing she'd done the first time out. And just at how happy she looked, just then.

"Yes, it was."

"You looked great," Peter complimented her, with Carol nodding her agreement.

"First flight, right?"

"Yes."

"You did good."

Pepper looked at Tony, who nodded his agreement.

"My first flight I crashed and burned. You're a natural."

She couldn't lose the smile, even as they all turned toward the building.

"Did I see Ned arriving?" she asked, not as good at multitasking with the suit and flying and communications. Of course, very few people were as good as Tony was when it came to that.

"You did."

"Who's Ned?" Peter asked.

"A friend of Peter's. We were keeping him away for a reason…" Tony replied.

Pepper shrugged. She knew Ned better than Tony did – she spent more time with him, after all.

"We should have known he'd come looking for answers. Not only is he curious by nature, and almost certainly worried about Peter not being in school, but we haven't really allowed Peter to give him any real explanation."

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Not to mention, we have all the cool toys."

She laughed.

"True." The suit she was still wearing definitely qualified as a cool new toy, she supposed. "Where did you tell him to take him?"

"To the lounge."

"Does this Ned know about us?" Peter asked, curiously, watching as the people on the roof started dispersing as well as he could see.

"He probably does by now," Tony replied. "Rocket's on the roof with Gamora, but Drax and Mantis are with Groot and they were heading toward the lounge when Friday checked, last, for me."

"Is he going to freak out?"

Tony shrugged.

"Probably. But in a good way. Ned's level-headed and intelligent."

"That pretty much describes everyone around here," Carol said, amused. "Thanks for the flight, Pepper. I'm going to go see where they end up putting the rail guns."

She took off, again, with a flourish, and they watched as she streaked up to the roof, landing close to the edge, but near Steve.

"I enjoyed it, too," Peter said. "I'm going to check out the railguns, too. And then I want to talk your son into more junk food from that gas station. Is that a possibility?"

Tony looked at Pepper, silently telling her that it was her decision. There was only the slightest hesitation, and then she nodded.

"I don't see why not."

Quill's eyes lit up, and he looked almost like a little boy, she decided, smiling.

"Thanks! I'll meet you guys in the lounge."

He took off – literally – as well, heading for the roof, and Tony opened the door for Pepper.

"You're okay with Peter leaving the compound?" he asked, somewhat surprised.

Pepper nodded.

"He'll take his car, and take Shuri with him. She loves riding in the Pontiac and a ride is the least we can do after all the hard work she's put into getting the shield and the canons on the roof up and running for us. He'll take Ned, as well, which will soften the blow when we send him home without telling him everything that's going on out here, and it'll give Peter a chance to spend a little time with people his own age."

"What about Quill?"

She shrugged.

"He's the adult supervision."

The billionaire rolled his eyes, amused.

"Are we sure he _qualifies_?"

They'd both seen the pile of junk food that Star Lord brought back from the gas station the last time.

Pepper chuckled.

"He's like you; acts like a kid, but has a lot more going on under the surface than is expected. I think they'll be alright for an hour, or so. Besides, Peter will be the better for it."

And that's what it always came down to for her, Tony knew.

"If you say so, momma," he agreed, readily. Of course, he agreed with what she was saying, anyway. "The racoon doesn't go, though. We're going to have enough curiosity about what's going on around here without risking Rocket being found out."

"Agreed." She looked down at herself, and tapped the metal that was covering her chest and belly. "I'm going to go take this off. Why don't you go see what Ned's learning – and try to keep him from finding out any more than we want him to know."

"You don't need help?"

"Vision can help me. We'll meet you in the lounge in half an hour, or so. Don't let him go until I have a chance to talk to him, though."

"Yeas, dear."

She smiled, and put her arms around him, metal suits and all.

"Thank you for the suit."

Tony kissed her.

"You look amazing."


	46. Chapter 46

Ned was sitting at the usual table with Peter and the oddest assortment of people that he could ever have imagined meeting (outside of a Star Wars cantina video) when Tony walked into the lounge. The young man watched, uncertainly, as Stark walked to the bar, first, and poured himself a cup of coffee, and then walked over to the table.

It was one thing to tell _Peter_ that his mom had sent him to check on his friend. It was another to face down Tony Stark, however – especially without an invitation and knowing that something was up – or there definitely _would_ have been. Sitting between Drax and Peter and across from Mantis and Groot, Ned had to admit that it was probably worth whatever reprimand he was going to get.

"Hey, Tony…" he said, putting on his best innocent expression.

The billionaire wasn't fooled for a minute, of course. He smiled at the attempt, though.

"Ned. How are you doing?"

"Oh." He was a little surprised by the casual tone – and lack of annoyed expression. "I'm good. Thanks. I was, you know, just checking on Peter. Since I hadn't seen him in a while."

"Yeah? How's your mom?"

"Good."

Tony smiled, knowing that Ned was expecting to get reamed, but unable to be angry with the guy for being a friend and wanting to make sure Peter was alright. They should have allowed Peter a chance to explain – a little – why they were keeping their son out of school and at the compound. It might have kept this play from happening.

"I see you met some of our guests."

Ned smiled, too; relieved. Tony didn't seem too annoyed.

"Yeah. It's pretty incredible."

"True." Tony looked at Peter. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Pepper?"

"She's fine. She'll be here in a minute."

"That was amazing."

"Was she in the blue and silver suit?" Ned asked. There were a million things that he wanted to know, of course – especially when he was surrounded by freaking _aliens_ – but Pepper meant a lot to him. No one had actually said it, but he was intelligent, after all, and it seemed like an Avenger kind of thing that Tony might do; making a suit for his wife. "Is it new? Did you make it for her for her birthday? She didn't want a _party_, but she's okay with-"

"Yeah, Ned, she was in the suit, giving it a try."

"It's called _Rescue_," Peter said, excited that Tony was sharing the information with Ned and didn't seem to be too annoyed by Ned's presence. "Tony's been building it for almost a week now, and it just got finished. That was the first trial."

Ned's eyes grew excited and he looked at Tony.

"She flew on her first try?"

Tony was smiling, now, with pride.

"Yes. She did. Gotta fly before you learn to walk, right?"

Ned smiled at that.

"I'm pretty sure that isn't how it works."

"It worked for her," Tony pointed out.

That made Peter grin, because he liked seeing Tony so proud of Pepper.

"Yeah, it did."

His father looked at him.

"What does Ned know?"

Meaning, Peter decided, correctly, Tony wanted to know what he'd told his friend.

"Nothing. I just introduced him to these guys and told him about Peter and Gamora."

"And Rocket," Ned added. "But I'm waiting to see that one before I believe it."

"He is real," Mantis confirmed.

"And believable," Drax added. "He has no reason to lie."

Tony resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and turned his attention to Ned.

"What's going on is pretty hush hush," he said, seriously. "So even though I know you can keep a secret, it's not one that I'm willing to allow you in on. Got it?"

"I wouldn't tell anyone," Ned assured Tony.

"I know, Ned. But it's dangerous for you to know."

"Flash said his dad told his mom that you guys put some kind of shield around the compound – and some of the surrounding grounds."

"He shouldn't be telling anyone anything," Tony said, frowning. He made a mental note to talk to Grady about keeping the reservists from telling their families what they were seeing. "But, yes, that's something you can know about. We have a new shield."

"To keep someone out?" Ned asked. "Or to keep someone in?"

"That's part of the secret that you can't be told."

"Aww." Ned looked at the aliens around the table, and decided not to press his luck. "I can't tell MJ about them?"

"I am groot?"

Tony looked at Peter, who blushed.

"She's a friend."

"His _gir_lfriend," Ned added, amused at the way his friend was blushing.

"Kind of," Peter confirmed, which made Groot smile.

"In answer to your question," Tony replied. "No. Not MJ, not your mother. No one. Understood?"

He was using what Peter privately thought of as his Authority Voice, and his expression was serious enough to back of the tone of voice. Ned nodded.

"Yeah. I won't tell."

So much for Facebook and taking photos of them.

"You _can_ tell MJ – _and_ your mother – that you saw Peter and that he's healthy and whole, but for reasons that we didn't tell you, he won't be coming to school for a little while."

Ned looked at Peter.

"You didn't get Mono, did you?"

"What? No."

"We just need to keep him close," Tony told Peter's friend. "If you would be willing to bring in classwork, though, once a week, until we're through this, that would be appreciated."

And Peter would have a chance to see his friend, sometime. Not as often as any of them would like, but it would be better than nothing.

"Yeah. Of course."

Tony looked at Peter.

"I know Pepper has already called the school to let them know that you're not going to be there right away. We'll have her set it up with the teachers that you can get some classwork, and maybe a copy of the syllabus so you won't be too far off from what the other kids are learning. When we get you back in class, we don't want you behind."

Peter nodded, but then turned toward the entrance, where a large group of people were joining them, almost all of them from the roof of the compound. Including Shuri, T'Challa, Peter Quill, Gamora and Rocket, as well as Stephen, Natasha and Clint. The military people, Fury and Steve weren't present, which made Peter think they were still working on the rail guns placements.

Ned grinned when he saw Shuri and the others that he knew, but his smile froze when he saw Rocket, who was talking to Clint, just then.

"Holy sh- moley…"

Natasha wasn't the only one to smile at that. She slid her hand along Peter's shoulder as she walked behind him to find a chair, joined by Strange.

"Hey, Ned."

"Hi, Natasha." Ned had a crush on the assassin and they all knew it, so it would take something incredible to make him not devote all of his attention to her. A walking, talking racoon wearing clothes definitely qualified. "That's Rocket?"

"No," Rocket said, sarcastically. "I'm the other talking racoon that happens to be a demolitions expert. Ricardo."

Ned blushed, but grinned.

"Awesome."

Shuri smiled, too, walking over to greet Ned with a hug when he stood up to receive it.

"It is good to see you, Ned. How are you?"

"Great. You're working on the new shield?" he guessed.

"I am. I finished it, yesterday. I am now assisting – in a _minor_ capacity – with rail gun placements on the roof of the compound."

"Rail guns?" Ned echoed, looking at Tony – who shook his head with a sigh, and turned to Quill.

"Didn't you want to ask Peter something?"

Star Lord smiled, and nodded.

"Can you take me back to that gas station? I'm out of junk food."

"And you want another ride in his car," Gamora added, rolling her eyes.

It was all she'd heard of, to the point that she'd gone and checked out the vehicle, carefully, just to make sure that it didn't have any special properties. As far as she'd been able to discern, it was shiny and red, but wasn't anything that special.

"And I want another ride in your car," Quill admitted. "Your dad already said it was alright."

"He did?" Peter asked, looking at Tony, somewhat surprised.

"Not me alone," Tony replied. "Pepper agreed. Peter hasn't had a lot of chance to see the things that he's missed out on since he was gone, Shuri deserves a chance to have a ride – if nothing more than to thank her for all the hard work that she's done to help us out, here, and Ned can go along so he can assure himself that you're alive and well and not being held against your will."

Although he sort of was.

Shuri smiled, looking at her brother.

"May I?"

T'Challa glanced at Tony and nodded.

"Yes."

"Shotgun!" Ned said, quickly.

Quill shook his head, giving Ned a wry look.

"The ladies always get the front seat, kid. Didn't your mother teach you that?"

Ned grumbled, making Shuri smile and preen – pleased. She was still new to the tradition of calling for the front seat, and always forgot to do so.

"Thank you."

"You can't leave until Pepper comes," Tony told all of them. "She wanted to talk to Peter, first."

"I'm here," came the voice from right behind him, and Pepper walked up to the table with Wanda and Vision both with her. She smiled at Ned as she brushed Tony's shoulder before taking the seat beside him. "Tell me that _you_ have a legitimate reason for being here…"

"I brought Peter some homework."

Pepper shook her head, looking at Tony.

"You didn't tell him anything?"

"Nope."

"Good." She turned her attention to Peter. "Did you see me flying?"

"You looked amazing," he told her, sincerely. "Made me want to be able to fly, too."

"We could make an adjustment to your suit," Shuri told him.

"No." This was Tony – and Pepper had opened her mouth to say the same thing, at the same time. "His feet are far enough off the ground when he does his own thing. I'd like to keep it that way."

Peter shrugged and Shuri smiled.

"You're going to take Peter to the gas station?" Pepper asked her son.

"Yes. Want anything?"

"Bring me back some gummy bears, will you? Chocolate covered ones, if they still have them."

Peter nodded, and stood up, looking at the others.

"Any other requests?"

"Some m&m's."

"Licorice – but the black stuff, not the red."

"Twinkies."

"I am groot."

"A slurpee."

"Corndogs."

Peter wasn't the only one to smile and he shook his head.

"Let me get something to write with."


	47. Chapter 47

"You're seriously not going to tell me what's going on?"

Peter shook his head, looking at Shuri and Quill, who were at the slurpee machine, debating what flavor was the best. Quill solved it by mixing all of them together into the same cup, while Shuri pretended to be sick as he did so. He turned back to Ned, who had cornered him in the potato chip aisle to whisper to him.

"I _can't_, Ned."

"It's that scary?"

His friend could read him like no one else – except maybe Natasha, of course. Ned had known him all his life, after all, and despite how close he was to Tony and Pepper, Ned knew him best.

"It's potentially that scary," Peter agreed. "But it might be nothing, at all."

"Then tell me a little bit – just so I don't freak out."

"I can't. You're too smart; you might figure it out."

"Is it _aliens_?" Ned asked, proving Peter correct almost immediately. "I mean, you have some aliens at the compound, and now-"

"Probably shouldn't be talking about this right here," Peter reminded his friend. It wasn't like they were in the safety of the secured compound, after all. "Not where anyone can hear."

_And_ where there were security cameras to pick up the conversation. Ned looked around, and up at the closest camera, and nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry."

They went around the store, gathering a stockpile of junk food and bringing it to the counter to the waiting clerk – where Quill and Shuri joined them, loaded down with their own necessities and juggling slurpees.

"Jesus, Peter," the clerk said, grinning at just how much garbage the boy was buying. "Is the zombie apocalypse coming?"

Peter grinned, somewhat nervously. He'd been to the gas station so many times, by then, that he knew all of the people that worked there – most of them by name.

"I just have friends in from out of town," he said. "All of them told me they wanted something different."

"How is Natasha?"

She'd been there with Peter enough times that they all knew that he knew her – and (not surprisingly) all of the males – and one of the _females_ – were more than a little interested in her daily activities.

"She's good. Ordered a corndog."

"That's on me, then," the clerk said with a broad wink. "Make sure you let her know I bought it for her, will you?"

"Yeah. Sure."

Ned frowned as the clerk bagged everything up and they headed out the door, with Shuri protectively between Peter and Star Lord until they reached the car.

"I would have bought Natasha's corndog."

"She _already_ likes you," Peter told his friend. "Give Rich his chance."

Ned shrugged, good-naturedly, but he didn't have a chance to talk to Peter, again, privately, as they all loaded into the Pontiac and headed back to the compound, with Shuri sitting beside Peter, now, and shaking her head at Quill – who mentioned that he was thinking of taking up smoking, now that he was old enough to do so, and that maybe they should go back to the store so Peter could buy him a pack. Peter pointed out with a smile that _he_ wasn't old enough to buy them for him, yet, so he'd have to wait – or get one of the adults to take him, later.

OOOOOOO

The lounge was full when they returned, and there was a short moment of confused chaos as the others picked through the pile of offerings to find whatever it was they had put on the list. Tony and Pepper watched, amused, as the Avengers then sat around in their small groups with the military liaisons and the Guardians, the King of Wakanda and one sorcerer supreme and talked about nothing more worrisome than plans for that evening, or training schedules.

Tony pulled Ned and Peter aside after about half an hour.

"I hate to send you home without feeding you a real meal, first, Ned," he said to the boy. "But that's what I'm going to do. I want you home and safe before dark – and I don't want you driving in the city when everyone is out and about getting dinner or going to the movies or something."

The billionaire didn't mention the fact that, technically, Ned wasn't _supposed_ to be driving in the city at all.

"Yeah. It's okay," the younger boy said. "Can I come back, soon?"

"Call, first, next time, okay?"

Ned nodded, and separated to go say goodbye to the others, while Tony and Peter watched, his father resting a hand, lightly, on Peter's shoulder.

"Did he ask you what's happening?"

Peter nodded.

"I didn't tell him, though. I think he's mad at me."

"Walk him out to the car," Tony suggested. Peter would have anyway. "Tell him that he can come out next weekend and watch Pepper trying out the new suit – up close, this time."

"Really?"

"Sure. It's not – technically – a secret, and even if it was, that's something that Ned can see without risking panic in the city. I'm always building new suits, after all."

"Okay. Thanks."

Tony nodded, watching as Ned hugged Natasha, who kissed his cheek and made him blush a furious shade of red that even Ned's complexion couldn't hide.

"I've told you I love you, right?"

_That_ made Peter smile.

"Once or twice, maybe."

OOOOOO

"So Tony isn't mad at me?"

"Nah. He knows you're looking out. Can't fault you for that, really – but call, next time, so you don't have to sneak in, okay?"

"Yeah." Ned shrugged. "I bet he still would have said no if I'd have asked, first."

"Maybe."

Peter stepped up to the car, and opened the door for his friend, but Ned hesitated, his expression suddenly serious.

"Should I be worried about you?"

Peter affected nonchalance.

"_Me?"_

His incredulous tone made Ned smile. Like it was the craziest thing to think that Peter might be neck deep in trouble, or something.

"What do I tell MJ?"

"That I'm not bleeding, and I don't have Mono. Tell her I'll call her, tomorrow evening – or she can call me."

"Okay."

"Thanks for coming out, Ned."

The boy smiled, and looked like he wanted to hug his friend – he knew Peter wasn't being completely honest with him, after all – but he didn't. He just nodded, instead.

"I'm your guy in the chair, right?" he reminded Peter. "Call me if you need anything. You know I'll come running."

"Yeah." He _did_ know. "Drive safe."

OOOOOO

The ship was enormous. And surrounded by a lot of smaller ones, all holding countless creatures in their metal holds. Designed as shock troops, for the most part, and mindless to the extreme once unleashed. They were merciless, dog-like, mostly, although there were others that were simply indescribable, with even a small amount that could fly.

A terrifying horde to release on a population that dared to try and resist their destiny.

"We're close, Thanos."

"I can see that, Maw."

He was standing near the navigation station, after all, and a small, blue world was on the display, spinning lazily, and unaware of what was heading their way. The Titan smiled, satisfied, and never drew his eyes from that image, even as he flexed the gauntlet on his hand, reveling in the power that coursed through his arm – despite the fact that it stung, just a bit, as if the stone was irritated and wanted to remind him that he wasn't its master, merely the one wielding it, at the moment.

The boy was on the planet. He'd guide the Titan to the other stones. Thanos didn't need to _master_ them – he just needed them to submit to him long enough for him to make the one motion that would complete his lifetime's work. His moment to make the universe balanced, again, once and for all.

"Reports indicate the planet is teeming with life," Maw said. "How will we know where the child is?"

"I already know," Thanos told his underling. "I'll guide the way once we're closer."

"Yes, Thanos."

OOOOOO

_Peter had been having a very good dream. Him and Tony flying; Peter using webbing to latch onto the Ironman suit and hanging from Tony's grasp with one hand, whooping with joy at the speed they were going as they shot through the sky, his thoughts going from the flight to the events of the evening before._

_Shuri and T'Challa had left – taking Ironpig with them – and Tony had cooed his piglet, rubbing his ears and giving the princess a litany of instructions on how to care for the guy. For her part, Shuri had been understanding, and had promised Tony that she and her mother would care for him as if he were part of the family. _

_Which had made T'Challa roll his eyes and mention, amused, that he was still too little to make a decent sized pork chop. Tony had smiled, handed the piglet over and had then stepped back to allow Stephen to make his portal to send the Wakandans home._

"_Your sister is amazing," he reminded the king, who smiled in pride. "If you guys need anything, you know all you need to do is ask."_

"_I've begun assembling border tribe warriors and the Jabari are already in the capitol," T'Challa told him. "We will be ready when you need us."_

"_Thanks."_

_They said their goodbyes, and then Tony had spent a quiet night with just his wife and son, allowing them to keep him from being moody about sending his piglet away, and cuddling up to Pepper, while Peter chased down his kitten and began picking up the things that Nutmeg had knocked to the floor in his folk's private quarters._

The dream ended abruptly, and Peter came awake with a start, looking around his room with a sudden feeling of dread.

"_Easy,"_ Alec said, calmly, into his mind. _"Don't panic. Get up, and get dressed, and then go wake the others."_

"What's happening?" Peter asked, even as he saw an image flash into his mind, put there by the mind stone.

A huge figure, with a gloating expression on a very expressive face.

"_Thanos is here."_


	48. Chapter 48

_A/N: Okay, it's here! I'm assuming that everyone has seen endgame, so beyond what I've already done, I'm not going to really give much of a description of the creatures that Thanos has available to him. We'll assume if I mention the dog-like creatures, it's the ones that overran Wakanda, and the flying turtle things, and Thanos' 'children', of course will be brought in – but I'll try to describe them as it comes along. I'm going to do everything that I can to keep it from being confusing, but there are a lot of people and will be a lot going on. Enjoy!_

OOOOOO

"Karen!" Peter couldn't help the way that his voice broke – either in fear or in excitement. "Tell Friday to wake up Tony and Pepper – and to warn everyone."

The AI responded, immediately, and Peter headed into his living room area, hopping awkwardly as he was trying to put his jeans on. The door opened without a knock and Natasha walked in, zipping up her own uniform. She was already awake – not surprisingly – and he didn't even blush that she had found him in the middle of getting dressed.

"It's happening?"

"Yeah." He didn't ask how she knew, but suspected it was the mind stone. "I told Karen to wake up Tony."

"I called Stephen," she told him. "He and Wong will be here in a moment and Steve-"

"Is right behind you."

Rogers and Carol both walked into the room, still pulling on clothing, and Peter heard a purely mental snort, but didn't even think to ask how the two managed to be coming in at the same time when Carol's quarters weren't even close to Peter's. With them was Jack, who looked confused at being in Peter's room in the middle of the night, but the half-grown lab was used to things being weird around him, and he simply went for Nutmeg, who wasn't looking nearly as thrilled about being awake when they should still be snuggled in bed – or being mauled by Jack.

"What's going on?" Danvers asked, her expression serious, but her own eyebrow quirking when she saw Peter pulling on his t-shirt.

The boy looked scrawny, but he was surprisingly well-muscled.

"It's Thanos," the boy said, double-checking the nanite housing for his suit when Alec reminded him to do so. "He's here. Or _close_."

"I'll go take a look," Danvers said. "Where do we meet?"

"Command center," Steve told her.

She nodded and left the room, and Steve turned his attention to the other two.

"You woke Tony?"

Peter nodded.

"I just-"

He was interrupted by the arrival of Strange and Wong, who walked out of Peter's bedroom. The Sorcerer Supreme wasn't wearing his normal perfectly tailored suit; instead dressed in a stylized outfit that was similar to the one Wong was wearing – although he had the Cloak of Levitation on his high collar and the necklace that housed the time stone was around his neck.

"Thanos?" he asked, the single word telling them all that he didn't need to be briefed.

Natasha nodded.

"_Peter?"_

Tony's voice coming over the boy's watch was easy for all of them to catch.

"I'm in my rooms," Peter answered. "Steve, Natasha, Wong and Stephen are here with me," he added, quickly, making sure he understood that he wasn't alone and freeing Tony to do whatever he needed to do.

"_Stay with Romanoff – meet me in the command center as soon as you can."_

None of them were surprised that Natasha was the one that Tony wanted with Peter. The boy nodded, even though Tony couldn't see it, and looked at Natasha to make sure she was alright with that imperative – which she was, of course.

"We'll be right there, Tony."

Peter hesitated, looking at Nutmeg and Jack.

"They should be okay here?"

The plan had been to evacuate the rest of the pets to Clint's, but there wasn't time, now. Steve nodded.

"Yeah."

They left the boy's quarters, then, as a group, closing the door behind the pets to keep them out of harm's way, heading for the command center of the compound as an alarm blared a low warning, waking everyone up and sending them to their prescribed places.

Steve moved ahead at a trot; his job was to meet with Grady and Lyle, and get the military going in the right positions, as well. He would trust the others to do what they needed to do, because he had plenty on his plate, already, and they would meet up when it became necessary.

"What do we know?" Strange asked.

"Nothing, yet," Natasha admitted. "I was woken with an internal warning and went straight to Peter's room. Carol went to see what she could learn."

That was safe enough; Danvers could get eyes on the scene – even before their own satellites – and was carrying enough firepower of her own that they didn't need to worry about her running into anything she couldn't handle. As long as she was just taking a look, anyway. Even Carol wasn't a match for an _infinity stone_, after all.

"We haven't had a chance to bring the others to the compound," Strange said, as they walked. "We've already alerted the other sanctums, but we won't bring anyone in until we know where you want them – and once we do, one of us will have to open a portal to bring them."

"I'll take care of it," Wong assured him.

"We'll figure it out," Natasha said, turning a corner and seeing the guardians coming down the corridor in a group.

"Is it happening?" Quill asked, from where he was leading his people.

"Looks like it," Natasha said.

They didn't have an actual role for the newcomers, since they weren't really Steve's to command. But Quill, Drax and Rocket were clearly fighters – and Gamora was a wildcard for them, because while Natasha had her pegged as _dangerous_, she knew Thanos better than any of them and that made her far more important for intel than brawn.

Groot was an unknown – but as far as Romanoff was concerned, he was a baby – like Peter – and she didn't want him anywhere near the fighting. And, of course Mantis would be more effective staying out of the way.

They fell into the group as they headed for the command center, joined as they did by others; SHIELD agents and Avengers, and the military commanders from the guard – all heading the same direction, ready for whatever was to come.

They just needed to learn what was happening so they knew where they needed to be.

OOOOOO

The command center wasn't a large room, but it was bustling with activity, just then. The crew that manned it overnight were still at their posts, and every display was on and showing satellite feeds, which were screaming warnings of all kinds about objects heading toward the planet that weren't supposed to be there.

More people were arriving every minute, but Steve was already there – as were Grady and Fury – and they were calm, which made those around them calm, as well. Natasha and the others went into the room, standing out of the way against the wall as they watched, impressed, as Steve and the military liaisons started looking at the information that was coming in but not acting on it until they had more intel.

Peter hung back, well aware that he wasn't any help for them in the command center – or with tactics. He was learning them, of course, but he was learning them from Steve. Instead, he watched, standing beside Groot, near the door, and suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

He knew it was Tony before he turned, and he nodded.

"Yeah." He frowned. "Where's Pepper?"

"She went to the workroom. Wanda and Vision are with her."

Wanda was a good choice to be with Pepper; she was as powerful as anyone Tony knew, and that meant Pepper wasn't someone he was going to need to worry about – at least, not yet.

"Carol went to take a look," Romanoff said, not having missed Tony's arrival. "When she gets back, we'll have a better idea of if it's really Thanos, or a comet or something. Steve won't order an evacuation of the area around the compound until we're sure – but the guard units are already on stand by."

"We have army units ready to stand between here and the city?"

It was clear where Tony's primary concern was – even though he didn't have the authority to order the military around. He left that up to Steve.

"We do," Lyle Harris confirmed, hearing the question as he walked in. The general's aide had already been on the phone with his general, letting him know that there was potentially something happening and making sure the general was ready to back up any decision that the military made to help. "General Baldwin has already made the calls; we're just waiting for confirmation."

Tony nodded, deciding to stand next to Peter and watch, as well. His presence wasn't needed by Steve and Fury, just then, and he knew it. But his son most certainly needed him to be close at hand – and as the billionaire settled in to wait with the others, he looked at the boy.

"Activate the majority of your suit, will you?" he requested. "Keep the helmet off, but I want you buffered as much as possible."

Tony hadn't missed that Stephen was wearing the time stone, after all – or maybe Friday had pointed it out.

Peter didn't argue. He tapped the housing on his hip, and Groot looked impressed as the suit activated.

"I am groot?"

Rocket rolled his eyes (although he really was wondering if he could talk someone into making him a suit that would activate with a touch like that).

"It wouldn't fit you."

Peter started to say something, but before he could, he felt a tingle, and looked out the door and down the corridor. Tony and those close enough followed his gaze, and they all watched as Carol walked toward them. Her expression was serious, and maybe a little worried.

"That doesn't look promising," Rocket said.


	49. Chapter 49

They all made sure they were close enough to hear what Carol had to say when she stopped near the door.

"Well?" Steve asked, stepping up, the military guys also pressing close to hear.

"You have an armada of spaceships coming this way," she told him. "Three large ones, acting like a carrier group." No surprise that she would put it that way; and if anyone had needed proof that she had been military, that would have been it. "They each have a lot of smaller ships around them."

"Any that are circular?" Gamora asked.

"A donut-looking one that is in the front, leading it all."

"Does that mean something?" Fury asked.

"The Maw is coming – and Thanos is most likely in that ship with him."

None of them needed to ask who she meant. It was one of the many things that Steve and Natasha had learned while they'd been questioning her, repeatedly, during the time that she'd been there. All of Thanos' so called children had been described, thoroughly, along with their capabilities.

"So it's happening, then," Tony said, looking more resigned than anything.

"We're in much better preparation than we were in New York," Clint said, walking up. He, too, looked worried, but resolute. As well he would, since only a hundred miles from their location he had a family sleeping and unaware that their world was in danger. "The question is, still, how do we keep him from going somewhere else looking for Peter?"

"The mind stone is telling him where Peter is," Wanda said, walking up with Pepper, now dressed in the Recue suit. "He isn't going to need to look anywhere else."

"Why would it do that?" Tony asked, scowling, and glancing at his son, who was pale, but didn't look too afraid – considering he was the object of the Titan's attentions.

"To keep him from destroying the rest of the planet looking for him." She shrugged, and it was clear that she was upset. Not surprising since Vision was now once more in Rescue, and not at her side as she much preferred. "It knows that Peter wouldn't want the rest of the planet harmed, so it's doing what is needed to show Thanos where to come."

"I'm not sure if that's sweet, or terrifying," Clint said.

"It's terrifying," Tony replied. "But it's convenient."

"We have to make sure that he doesn't send his carriers somewhere else," Steve said. "If he gets any indication that we're going to keep him away from Peter –"

"Which we are," Fury said, before anyone else could.

"Then he might decide to use a different part of the planet as an object lesson."

"Would he do that?" Quill asked Gamora.

"In a heartbeat," she confirmed. "I would – and he taught me."

Steve looked at Tony.

"We need to call the others – but I don't want them here, yet. The last thing we want, right now, is a show of force. We keep him off guard, let him think that he has the upper hand – and then, when things start going south, we start bringing in the Wakandans and the other magicians."

"What about the army?" Grady asked.

"No. That's expected and completely in line with a terrified planet," Steve told him. "Start the evacuations, now that we know he's coming. "Clear the entire space between here and the city as well as we can, and then set the line of protection somewhere in the middle. Nothing on the ground gets by them."

"Fair enough." The colonel looked at the general's aide. "Call General Baldwin, Lyle. Let's get that going."

Lyle nodded and moved away, and Steve looked at the others.

"We can do this."

"Of course we can," Romanoff said. She, in turn, looked at Peter. "You stay by me."

Peter looked over at Tony and Pepper, but they had already had this conversation, too. Their son had the same skillset that Natasha did; not surprising since she had been his primary trainer. Ironman – and now Rescue – were heavy hitters and designed for flight. As much as Tony and Pepper both wanted to stay at his side and protect him, they could cause a lot more damage to the invaders by being in the air and not tied to the ground keeping track of Peter.

Besides, Natasha was almost certainly going to be near Stephen – which was another layer of protection for him.

He nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'll contact the other sanctums and let them know what's happening – and will bring them here so they can jump in when needed," Wong offered.

"How long do we have?" Steve asked Carol.

"They were just coming into the solar system," she reported. "It's up to them."

"If he starts even looking like he's going to be sending any of the other ships anywhere other than here, we're going to need you to deal with them," he replied.

He looked at Wanda, too, and she knew that he was including her with that request. They'd talked about this, as well – even before Vision had decided to be Rescue's AI. Wanda had enormous power and almost certain could back up Carol with whatever they needed to do.

"I am groot?"

"Where do you want us?" Rocket asked – and only a few knew whether he was translating what the tree was saying or not.

"Wherever you think you'll be most comfortable," Steve answered. "The railguns on the roof are going to be manned by the military, and we have every intention of keeping these guys on the other side of the shield. If something happens, kill anything that comes at you."

Rocket nodded, as did Drax.

"Mantis isn't a fighter," Quill said, looking at the young woman, worriedly. She had talents, but was a much gentler soul. "Maybe we should evacuate her with the others…"

"I will stay," Mantis said. "There will likely be casualties. I can assist with that."

The National Guard had a lot of doctors already established and waiting – just in case something happened. Now that it was happening, Steve knew that there would be several mobile hospitals being set up – as well as all of the medical rooms at the compound, of course.

"You can definitely help," he told her. "We appreciate it." He took a deep breath, and gave them a confident look. "We'll wait and see what Thanos says, but let's get our calls made."

They dispersed, then, mostly, and Tony and Pepper both went to Peter, pulling him out of the hall and into a nearby conference room – and were followed by Natasha and Stephen, who closed the door behind him.

"Stay close to Natasha," Tony told him, again. "But if anything happens, you run for Asgard."

"I can't-"

"You will," Pepper interrupted. "We'll buy you all the time you need, but you have to be safe. Nothing is more important than that. Not even this planet, really."

Peter quailed at the thought of losing them – something that he knew they were talking about, but that he couldn't accept.

"No. I can fight, too."

"You _will_ fight," Tony told him. "Otherwise we'd send you there, _now_, before it even starts. But you remember this, Peter Benjamin Parker… and you remember it _well_; Thanos is after _you_. If he gets hold of you, then he can destroy the entire universe – and all the people in it. If stopping him from doing that means that you leave us, here, and you run, then you need to run. Asgard has a stone, too. They're a target."

"That's not fair…"

Tony pulled him into his arms, and held him for a long moment. Peter could feel him trembling, but knew it wasn't fear for himself – it was only fear for Peter.

"You know as well as anyone that things aren't always fair," his father reminded him. "But this one is so important. Your mom and I love you so much. You know that."

"Yeah."

"Natasha is going to watch your back during this. You need to watch hers, too. Understand? You have those spider senses, make sure you use them."

"I will."

Tony let him go, and Pepper hugged him, too. Her armor stopped her from actually feeling the embrace very well, but it didn't matter. She pressed a kiss against his temple and held it there for a long time.

"You're so amazing."

He sniffed.

"Thank you for loving me."

Which made her tear up. She smiled, though, and stepped back, wiping her eyes, and then using her thumbs to wipe the moisture from his cheeks.

"We have the AIs," she reminded him – and Natasha. "If you need something, make sure you call."

"We'll take good care of him," Romanoff promised, putting a hand, protectively, on Peter's shoulder – which also confirmed that Stephen had every intention of being near at hand, as well.

"We know."

Tony and Strange exchanged a look, but before either man could say anything, Friday spoke up.

"Something is entering the atmosphere."

Tony was the first to head for the door, and back to the command center.

"Get the shield up," he ordered – even though in this kind of situation it was Steve who was officially in charge. "Something's coming."

Rogers nodded, and reached for a shield of his own, which had been affixed to his back. Now he put it on his forearm, and tightened it down, a little, casually.

"Let's go see what we're dealing with," he told the others.


	50. Chapter 50

"Are you certain this is the place?"

The question was asked diffidently, as if well aware that he needed to be careful not to sound like he was challenging the Titan. Thanos just nodded, unconcerned about Maw, now that his goal was in reach. He looked out the view screen of the space craft, the sensors focusing on the small cluster of buildings that was settled in the middle of a large expanse of nothing but trees and some fields.

"This is it."

The images that had been leading him this far had pointed to this location, specifically – even going so far as to show him an image of his quarry. A slight boy, with a pale face and wide, innocent, eyes. The visions were gone, now – and he assumed in his hubris that it had been the universe supplying them to further him in his quest to save her – but they had served their purpose.

Below him was the boy. And his guide to all of the stones. His guide to his destiny.

"It doesn't seem to be a place that would hold someone so special," Maw said. "So _ordinary_."

Before Thanos could reply to that a sudden flare appeared at the center of the destination – and a moment later there was a shimmering shield that enclosed the building and a large area of the space around it.

"You were saying?" he asked, more amused than annoyed.

"It's _still_ unimpressive."

"Don't let the appearance make you complacent."

"I'll assemble a proper show of force."

"No. Not yet." Thanos flexed the gauntlet on his hand, admiring the stone in it. "Let's give them an opportunity to be reasonable. Hover over the facility and send me down – test their barrier, but if you must, put me just outside it."

"Alone?"

Now he did allow some annoyance in his expression and tone.

"Do you think I need help with my negotiations?"

"No. Of course not."

Thanos nodded.

"Notify the others, however. I have no doubt that we will need them."

It was a stubborn planet, after all. He _already_ knew that.

"Yes, Thanos."

OOOOOO

They all watched the main display in the command center as a giant ring-shaped spaceship broke through the atmosphere directly above the compound's airspace. Airspace that was already closed, luckily, so they wouldn't need to worry about any commercial panes running into any issues.

"Look familiar?" Tony asked.

Gamora nodded.

"It's the Maw's ship."

"What will he do next?" Steve asked.

"Send someone down to explain his demands."

The ship stopped, hovering above the compound, showing only faintly in the dark of the night sky – especially when up against the soft shimmering of the shield that had been raised around the compound.

"Something is happening," Friday reported into the silence of the room.

One of the cameras that was covering a section of the perimeter of the shield suddenly came up. There was a flare of light, and suddenly a being was standing there. Huge and imposing – and clearly not human. Dressed in shining gold armor and wearing a metal glove with a single jewel in it, shining dully in the night. He was also holding an incredibly wicked-looking sword that looked like something out of a video game, Peter decided.

"Is that him?" Pepper asked.

"Yes."

The figure was standing, quietly, at the edge of the shield, clearly waiting for someone to come challenge him. Tony was up to the task.

"Come on, Steve," he said. "Let's go see what he has to say."

Pepper started to say something, clearly wanting to go, too, but Tony just shook his head.

"I'll leave Friday's com open," he told all of them. "Chances are he just wants to bluster and threaten."

Gamora nodded her agreement to that.

"It's common. Especially when he is so certain that he has the upper hand. He didn't even bring anyone else with him."

"That's on him," Steve said, already heading to the door.

"Be ready," Tony told the others, unnecessarily, as he followed Steve out the door. He gave Peter a cocky wink, to make him lose the worried look in his expression and ran his hand along Pepper's as he passed her. "Love you."

OOOOOOOOO

The figure was still by himself, watching as Tony and Steve walked up to the edge of the shield. Tony's suit was activated, but the helmet was clear, making him able to converse. Steve was wearing his usual uniform, and carrying his shield. They could see the Titan's eyes watching them, intently, as they stopped in front of him, with only the shield between them.

"You selling something?" Tony asked, well aware that mocking someone was the best way to make them annoyed.

Especially someone who took themselves very seriously.

Thanos only smirked.

"You have something that I want. Give him to me and I'll spare your pathetic, little, world."

"Not sure what you mean," the billionaire replied. He looked at Steve. "_You_ have something he might be interested in?"

Steve shrugged.

"I have a _headache_. He could have that."

Thanos scowled, his eyes narrowing, suddenly.

"You're Stark."

Tony was surprised that he knew his name, but it didn't show. The man negotiated billion dollar deals and had a hell of a poker face, after all. He simply allowed an eyebrow to raise.

"We've met?"

"I know who you are." Thanos' expression never changed. "You ruined my plans once. You can be sure that it won't happen, again."

Tony realized that he was referring to the New York invasion.

"I wouldn't count on it, Grimace."

OOOO

"He's _crazy_," Rocket said, softly, watching with the others as Friday showed the feed from the meeting. "That's _Thanos_."

"Just another annoyance," Romanoff said, with a shrug. "He's faced down aliens before – even _gods_."

"If he angers him, he will call down the rest," Gamora warned.

"He's going to, anyway," Fury said. "There's no way in hell we're going to give that dude Peter."

The SHIELD director was tense, but he'd seen a lot in his many years, too, and had faith in the people around him.

"_Can you feel Thanos from here_?" Peter asked Alec, curiously, trying to distract himself from the fear he was feeling as he watched Tony and Steve face the titan down alone.

"_Somewhat. There's a fair distance, though. Can you feel the power stone?"_

Peter hesitated, concentrating, and realized that he _could_. If he thought about it, he realized that he could feel the _mind_ stone, too – although the time stone was even closer, and he couldn't feel its presence at all.

"_It's still angry, isn't it?"_ he asked.

"_I can only feel it because you do,"_ Alec told him. "_I can feel what you feel, though, and I'd agree that angry is a good description – or maybe annoyance?"_

Peter nodded his agreement, but never took his eyes off the feed. He could see Thanoos because Tony was recording with Friday, and he could see Tony and Steve because the external cameras were still recording, as well.

OOOOOO

Thano's expression grew annoyed.

"Last chance, Stark," he said, dangerously. "The boy is all I want from you. Give him to me and you'll live."

Tony knew that Peter was hearing the conversation – and knew that it was a terrible burden that the titan was putting on his son; making him think that all he had to do was give himself up and everything would be fine, and the horde waiting above the planet surface would vanish. He didn't think that Peter was dumb enough to believe the lie, but he wanted to make sure that the boy knew exactly how much of a lie it was.

"So, let me get this straight…" he said, pretending to be confused. "I give you Clyde, and you pack up your army and your spaceships and go home?"

"Yes."

"That easy?"

"You have my word."

"And you won't try to take out half the universe?"

"I'll spare your world."

"Half of it."

"That will be more than if you make me take him. If I have to come through your pathetic shield, I'll make your planet pay, dearly. You have as long as it takes for me to call my children to make your decision."

"I don't need that long," the billionaire told him. "You can pack sand – and so can your kids."

He turned and walked away from the shield, knowing it would be the final insult, but unable to help himself. Steve was right beside him, as if they had choreographed the move before hand.

"_Pack sand?"_ he echoed. "_Seriously_?"

"_Peter's_ listening, Steve," Tony told him. "You wouldn't want me to say it the other way, would you?"

The other man snorted, amused, and lifted his hand to touch his comm unit.

"Get ready," he warned. "Negotiations are a definite bust."

"Think we'll make it back to the compound before-"

There was a roar of anger from behind him, and the sound of a blow against the shield – which was immediately followed by another shout of annoyance and pain, as the shield repelled the attack Thanos made when he tried to take a swipe at it with his mighty sword.

"No," came Steve's ready reply.


	51. Chapter 51

Several things happened, then.

Even as Tony and Steve walked – calmly – back toward the compound, there was a sharply barked order behind them. The two men had only made it halfway or so before there was an incredibly loud thump behind him them. They stopped and turned, just in time to see columns that looked like solid stone come crashing to the earth all around the shield behind them.

"Son of a bitch…" Steve said, softly, as the columns suddenly opened and each seemed to spew a horde of unworldly creatures that looked like something out of Ghost Busters – the old one, not the new one that Peter had roped them all into watching one night.

"Language," Tony said, absently, equally amazed at the sheer number of creatures that were snarling on the other side of the shield – and were beginning to spread out, each testing the area closest to them and yelping in decidedly doglike fashion every time they touched the energy barrier.

They just kept coming as more and more pillars landed, and even more creatures or different types joined them, all milling outside the perimeter of the shield, with Thanos standing in the middle of it all, watching.

OOOOO

Inside the command center, the room was silent as those in the building watched the same thing that Steve and Tony were seeing.

"They're mindless killers," Gamora said into the quiet awe. "They cannot be reasoned with, and will show no mercy. Make sure that you don't, either."

The warning was met with nods.

"I'm going to the roof," Hawkeye said, not surprising anyone who knew him.

"Wong is bringing in the other magicians," Strange said, also leaving the room. "We'll put them on the roof, as well, so they can be in position to assist wherever they are needed. He looked at Natasha. "I'd suggest a call to T'Challa? We could use the extra forces."

"Already done," she confirmed. "They're assembling and will be ready when we open a portal large enough to bring the tribes through."

"Let's do it, now," the sorcerer supreme said. He and Wong were the only magicians who'd been to Wakanda and would be the ones who'd need to create the portal to bring the Wakandans in. "That will give their leaders a chance to see what they're facing and best decide how to utilize their people."

Natasha nodded and Pepper caught Peter's arm before he could follow.

"I love you," she reminded him, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes – even though the love that she had for him did. "Be safe."

"I will," he promised her. "Be careful."

He knew she was heading out to meet up with Tony, now.

She nodded and left, and Natasha gestured for Peter to follow her. They were followed by Groot, while Quill, Drax and Rocket all joined the small crowd of military and SHIELD agents who followed Pepper, everyone readying weapons that they'd been holding. Peter lost track of everyone else when he followed Natasha and Strange out to the field, which was already bustling.

A movement above him made him look up as they entered the large clearing, and he saw one of the giant flying armored turtle-looking things flying overhead in the distance. The creature was lit up by the shield's glow and the numerous spotlights that were already installed on the compound. There was an awesome concussion and a bolt of light intercepted it, breaching the shield from the inside with ease and slamming into the flying creature. It screamed, and crashed into the shield, then bounced off the energy barrier and rolled down the dome shape and landed with a final thud into the trees beyond the shield and was still.

The first shot of the new battle had been fired, and Shuri's anti-turtle rail guns had proven that the Wakandan princess knew what she'd been talking about.

"Earth 1, aliens 0," came Clint's voice over Peter's communications.

"Let's make sure we stay ahead of that," he heard Tony reply.

He didn't look for either man, just then, watching as Stephen stopped, suddenly, and waved his hands, forming the largest portal that Peter had ever seen. On the other side, the bright African sun was shining, and there was a huge mass of Wakandan warriors, all dressed in their traditional garb waiting for orders. Standing in front of them, T'Challa was dressed in his Black Panther habit – without the helm active, just then. He stepped through with Okoye by his side, and moved to stand beside Natasha, Stephen and Peter, and then gestured for his commanders to take charge – even as he stared at the seething army massing on the other side of the shield.

The Wakandans formed up in the side of the compound grounds, filling much of the area between the building and that portion of the shield, watching the other side of the shield, impassively. Waiting for their part of the battle to come.

"What do we know, so far?" T'Challa asked.

"We know they have a lot of creatures to throw at our shield," Natasha said. "If they manage to break through the shield, we need to keep them from the building, if we can. The rail guns will be vulnerable if they get to the people manning them – and we need to keep the command center safe to allow the military communication lines open with what's happening here."

Stephen pulled Peter aside while Natasha was talking to T'Challa and Okoye.

"Whatever happens, I don't want you using magic," the sorcerer told him, somberly. "I have a feeling you'll be tempted to. But it'll wipe you out, and you need to be on your feet for anything that might happen."

Peter nodded; Alec was agreeing with Strange, just then.

"I won't."

"You know how to trigger the portal to Asgard if you need to."

"Yeah."

His expression must have told the magician that he had his own doubts about going through it, though.

"Don't look like that," Stephen told him, seriously. "The battle hasn't even started, really, and it certainly isn't _lost_. But you're the key to it. If something happens, just remember; there's a stone on Asgard that can move you anywhere in the universe without the side-effects that the teleportation rock has."

Peter heard – and _felt_? – Alec suddenly start, as if the alien was suddenly aware of something else. Something that he didn't share with Peter, who was distracted by a streak of light going across the sky at a low level, just under the shield. Carol hadn't been dispatched to take care of protecting any other area, just then, and she was eager and anxious to join in the fight that hadn't even started, yet.

The creatures outside the shield kept coming, until they were hundreds of feet deep, all snarling into the night – at the shield, and at each other – until the entire compound was surround by the shield, first, and then the alien creatures so eager to get at them.

A booming voice sounded in the night, and a light that didn't come from the compound suddenly shone on Thanos, again. This time he wasn't alone; he had a small handful of varied beings standing with him, flanking him. They all knew from Gamora's description that these were his lieutenants. His children. His black order.

"Last chance, Stark," Thanos said, calmly. "Give me Clyde, or I'll level your little facility and take him by force."

The night might have hid the confused looks on some of the faces of the defenders, but it didn't hide the snicker of amusement that came over everyone's communications. There was a flare of light, and then another – and then two more. Suddenly Ironman, Rescue, Carol and Wanda were all in the air, hovering in a phalanx looking at the titan.

"Go to hell," Tony told him, matching Thanos' calm tone. "Take your peanut gallery with you."


	52. Chapter 52

_A/N: Loving it. So the battle is started and there will be a lot of chaos to write. I am going to make it as comprehensible as I can and try to keep it from getting confusing, but I apologize now for it being everywhere. I want all the stories told, if I can tell them_

OOOOOOO

"Í am groot?"

Peter was distracted from the awesome – and _scary_ – sight of everything going on around him and shrugged.

"What's a peanut gallery? I don't know."

"It's a term for the people in the theater who have the cheap – and furthest from the stage – seats," Strange answered, absently, his hands up and ready. "An _insult_, obviously."

"And not wasted on Thanos and his buddies," Natasha noted, watching as the commanders of the alien army were given an order, and the creatures that had been only half-heartedly trying the shields were suddenly rushing it, ignoring the way the energy barrier tore their bodies to shreds as they tried to force their way through it. "Now he's annoyed."

She had her guns out, now, even though she wasn't pointing them at anything, just yet, and Peter knew that she approved of the way Tony was handling things. She had told him more than once that an angry enemy was one who would be more prone to making mistakes. Tony obviously knew that, too, and was doing anything that he could to get Thanos off balance.

"Stay close," Strange said to Peter.

"_And activate your helmet,"_ came Tony's order, given as the billionaire flew overhead with Pepper beside him, obviously heading the other direction to see how the shield on the other side of the compound was holding, but still aware of where Peter was and what he was doing.

Peter did as he was told. It was more protection, but it also afforded him the chance to hear the chatter from the others through Karen's communications.

And there was plenty to hear.

OOOOOOOO

"_The shield's holding,"_ came Fury's calm, deep voice.

"_No fluctuations in energy output,"_ Stark agreed.

It was crazy, Tony thought, watching as on every curve of the shield, hundreds - even thousands - of the dog-like creatures were sacrificing themselves trying to get through the barrier. Worse, the action was having the desired effect. While the power wasn't varying at any section of the shield, the overwhelming forces those bodies were putting on the shield actually dimmed it enough to allow some of the creatures to get through.

They were immediately dispatched by snipers on the roof of the compound, but more and more were making it through, scrambling over the fried corpses of the ones that had gone before them. Soon there were small groups of them inside the barrier, and more making it through every minute.

"_Carol!"_ This was Clint's voice. "_A large grouping just broke off heading south."_

Friday's sensors confirmed what Barton's sharp gaze had noticed. Not only was it more than a thousand of the dogs, but there were giant ape-looking things – maybe something out of one of Tony's D&D campaigns – and a number of the flying turtles. All heading away from the compound and clearly going toward the south – and the innocent people sleeping only an hour away.

"_On it!"_

A portal suddenly appeared in the sky right above the compound roof – and above Wong, who had created it – and Wanda and Carol both vanished into it, appearing an instant later outside of the shield. Friday followed their progress as they headed south to intercept – and relayed the warnings that were also being sent to the guard units who were still evacuating people between the compound and the city, and the line of regular army, who were still forming up their line in the sand some forty miles south.

"_He's forcing us to divide our resources,"_ Steve's voice said – and he was just as calm as Fury. _"Watch your backs, people. Carol? Keep an eye on those carriers. Make sure they stay where they are. If you get a break, try to cripple them to avoid more creatures being sent down."_

"_Will do."_

She had her hands full with what she was doing, just then, but when she and Wanda cleared the area, her confident tone told them that space would be her next stop. Until then, though, the stone columns kept slamming to the earth, and the shock troops kept coming.

OOOOOO

"This is insane," Clint said from the roof, his bow in his hand and his arm moving effortlessly as he picked off creatures that were making their way through the shield. "Who throws away their people like this?"

"Someone who doesn't care what price he pays," Gamora answered. "As long as he gets what he wants."

"These guys overrun the compound and nothing would stop them from killing Peter, too. He has to know that."

"He'll assume that Peter is in a protected room. Once you're all dead and out of the way, he'll go through the place room by room looking for him."

"Insane…" Clint said, again, looking up as Ironman flew by, a volley of tiny missiles coming from his shoulders and taking down a line of dogs that were rushing at the Wakandans to the north of the building.

Rescue was right behind him, guarding his back and picking off the few that he missed on the fly-by.

"No one ever called him the _sane_ Titan," Gamora said, turning her attention from overhead to the edge of the shield where Thanos was still standing, watching and waiting as the people inside the shield rebuffed his first attempt to get through to them. She recognized the forms of Nebula, Maw and Proxima Midnight all standing near him, ignoring the chaos raging on around them. "Be ready," she warned, noticing that Maw and Nebula were both moving, now. "Something else is coming."

OOOOOOO

The shield was good, Thanos had to admit. But it wasn't enough to hold back all of his minions, and he had plenty of them to throw at it. It was taking longer than he wanted, though, and he was impatient.

"I want that shield down," he said to Maw, watching as more of the dogs made it through the barrier, only to be mowed down by a line of fire from overhead.

"The building must have a control room," Nebula told her father. "Get me inside, and I will disable the mechanisms keeping it in place."

Thanos nodded, turning back to the shield – and approving as several more dogs made it through, and seemed to be making their way through the line of defense to get closer to the main building.

"Focus the attack on the left side," he ordered. "Make a diversion and get her into the building."

Maw nodded and barked his own orders to the others, then he gestured for Nebula to move to the other side with him, and waited.

OOOOOOOO

"_Something's up,"_ Tony said, watching the display in the suit and noticing immediately when the attacking forces suddenly started to focus on one section of the shield, throwing not only the dogs, but the apes, and even a couple of flying turtles at the same spot in an obvious effort to overrun the shielding. "_Friday, reinforce that section – make sure we don't allow any lapse in the power to the rest, though, when we compensate."_

"_Gotcha."_

He, Rescue and Quill suddenly found themselves targets by a handful of bipedal creatures that had managed to get into the shielding with some alien surface to air missiles of some kind, and Quill whooped with a mixture of excitement and chagrin as he dodged what could only be called a laser beam, and returned fire, instantly, tearing several of them apart.

Only to have more come.

The compound grounds were suddenly swarming with the dogs as the press worked, and that section of the shield weakened, further, allowing more and more creatures to pour through the barrier until Friday managed to reinforce the power fluctuations and slow the flow of enemies.

Tony was hard-pressed on all sides, now, keeping his eye on Pepper, Peter and the rest of the input that Friday was tossing at him. Rescue was doing amazing; Pepper was fine – with Vision right there in her ear to show her where she needed to be and to make sure that she had all the AI support that she needed.

He saw Steve, Okoye and T'Challa all ganging up on an impossibly large creature that had made it through the shield, only to find the king of Wakanda and Captain America in between it and the building it had been told to destroy. The dogs were everywhere, now, it seemed, and there were magical energy bolts flying from the magicians on the roof, and Stephen, who was still making a strong stand with Natasha and Peter, who was using his webbing to tangle the legs and mouths of the creatures that were getting closer and closer to them, allowing each to be dispatched easily by a warrior – or by Natasha.

_"We're doing great, guys_," Tony said, the red dots on his HUD so overwhelming that they weren't even dots, any longer, but was one massive red screen. _"Keep it up."_

OOOOOOO

Peter's quarters were quiet. There were muffled thuds and explosions going on outside the window, which had Jack and Nutmeg slightly on edge, but no danger had presented itself to them. The lab was watching the door, waiting for Steve to return and let him lose, while Nutmeg was a bit more anxious; his fur poofed out, and his little body tense.

There was the sound of yelling, and the scrabbling noise of claws on the corridor flooring as something large and heavy ran by. Jack barked a nervous warning, and there was suddenly a low growl from the other side of the door, and the sound of something sniffing, noisily.

The lab growled, too, warning whatever it was that he wasn't a pushover, and the growling on the other side of the door responded with its own challenge. Heavy claws scratched against the door, and a soft snarl made Jack's growl deepen.

With a sudden surge, the door was broken in, pieces of it crashing to the floor. A huge dog-like form stood in the entrance, head down and beady eyes looking in the interior of the room as it looked for its prey. Jack snarled, teeth bared, hackles raised in an instinctive awareness of the need to fight. The creature growled a warning, advancing into the room with confidence, its much smaller opponent not even worthy of being on guard.

Which was its undoing, because the little yellow kitten on the back of the sofa struck before the thing even realized he was in the room – much less that he posed a much bigger danger to it than Jack. The kitten opened his mouth, and huge tentacles emerged, grabbing the creature implacably in their grasp and killing it in an instant before it could even let loose a strangled yelp of surprise. A moment later the thing was vanishing down the kitten's gullet.

Jack looked around, obviously confused at the sudden disappearance of his challenger, and then headed for the opening that had once been the door to Peter's quarters. He'd find Steve, somewhere.

Nutmeg sat on the back of the sofa, cleaning his paws, and then his face, calmly, purring loudly, as he did. A few minutes later, he, too, left Peter's quarters, unwilling to stay where he'd been left.


	53. Chapter 53

_A/N: Argh. In all my lead up and introducing all the new characters, I completely forgot about Bruce, who has (of course) been in the story before and is just so unassuming that I didn't remember him. I suppose I should be surprised that I didn't forget more of them. Since it is way too late to go back and magically put him somewhere and involve him with all the conversations, I'm going to say (to myself and somewhere in the story, eventually) that he was away at a conference or something and try to find a place for him to join in the fray as the Hulk if I can. I'm sorry about that._

OOOOOOO

They were coming in an impossibly endless wave of pack after pack of frenzied attackers. It was one of the scariest things that Natasha Romanoff had ever seen, really, but even as she shot down another one she knew it was all because there was a completely different perception in her life, now. She'd faced life and death, before – countless times. This was scarier, not because she was afraid of dying, but because of the people she was with. The man standing near her, and the boy who was only a few feet beside her and slightly behind her were the reason.

Before, dying just meant that she'd lost. A terrible thing, yes, but honestly not too unexpected, given how she had been raised. Romanoff always assumed that she was going to die in some painful or brutal fashion. It was almost destined to be that way.

Now, though, if she fell, Peter would be right behind her. She knew – and had already seen first hand – that he was stubborn and unwilling to cut and run from her side if things went wrong, and they were definitely going wrong, just then. She couldn't lose, because then Peter would lose. Either he'd lose her and be so sad about it, or worse, he'd lose her and then would die trying to keep from losing her.

Stephen wasn't nearly as defenseless as Peter, she knew. He was powerful, brilliant, and handsome, and wonderful and she had to admit – even though they didn't really _discuss_ it, much – that she loved him. Losing meant losing him. Or worse, disappointing him. That was much worse than dying, as far as she was concerned. But it was probably going to happen, this time. They were ridiculously outnumbered and facing someone who was willing to throw away the lives of his subordinates in a way that even Natasha had never encountered.

As scary as losing was, she had to salvage what she could, even as it happened. So, she watched as even more dogs came at them, and tried to figure out a way to get Peter out of there so he wouldn't see it happen when – if (_but probably when_) – she lost.

Strange had been considering the same thing, even as his magic attacks took out wide swaths of the creatures as they came at them. He didn't consider it a loss, yet, but he knew it wasn't a place where Peter should be. He watched as the boy tangled the legs of one of the dogs – which was then speared by a branch that Groot created, effectively killing it – and decided that it was time to get him out of there before it was too late.

He even knew how to do it without too much of an argument.

"We need more help," he told Natasha, waving his hand and brushing one of the dogs back that had come too close to flanking Peter.

She nodded, killing another that the boy tangled up and then finding another target. It wasn't hard; there were hundreds, now. So many that even the magicians, Ironman and the other flyers couldn't keep up with them. She saw an arrow fly by from the roof, land in a pack that were heading at an angle to go after Steve and T'Challa – who had their hands full with the beast they were trying to keep away from the main building – and then explode, sending dog guts and other parts flying.

"Bruce is coming, but he might not make it on time."

No way to portal him in from the conference that he'd been attending, since none of the sorcerers had ever been to the airport in Lincoln, Nebraska. He'd been tossed into a 2-seat fighter and was being flown put, but even with constant afterburners, it was still a distance.

"I was thinking something a little more impressive," Stephen said.

"The Hulk is pretty impressive," Peter said, looking over when his stomach warned him that something was happening, and sending a short burst of webbing at yet another dog, this time hitting it's face and keeping it from biting Groot, who dispatched it with ease.

"More god-like," Strange told them, calmly.

Romanoff realized immediately what he was doing – and thinking; he could see it in her expression. She approved – and decided it would work better coming from him.

"We need Thor and the Asgardians," she agreed. "They have a few berserkers, Thor told me. That would be ideal."

"Yeah. He could fry these guys," Peter said, also agreeing. "We should have come up with a way to call him when we needed help."

"We have a way," Strange said, turning back to the fray.

"He's right," Natasha told him, shooting down another dog with a perfect shot between its eyes that dropped it. "The portal."

"That's for _escaping_."

"It's also a good way to let him know we need him. Go get him, tell him we're being overrun."

"But-"

"Go, Peter," she told him. "Before it's too late."

"I don't want to leave you."

"You're going to get help," the wizard said. "And we could use it."

"_They're right,"_ Alec said. _"You need to break off here and go to Asgard."_

"No. I'm not running away." He said it aloud, both to the alien in his head, and to the spy and sorcerer.

"_You're not running away,"_ Alec responded, even as Natasha and Stephen both found themselves occupied with another swarm and couldn't argue, just yet_. "You know there's only _one _way to really win this, right?"_

"With the stones."

"_Exactly. If you gather them, you can use them and finish this once and for all. And keep Thanos from ever using them at the same time."_

"I can't hold them."

"_Think of a way,"_ Alec said. _"You have as much time as it takes to go from here to the workroom."_

The first stone was already within reach. Someone as techno-smart as Peter wouldn't have any problem removing the stone from Vision's head – and there were plenty of tools there.

"Go, Peter!" Natasha told him, again, with more fervor, this time. "We need you to get reinforcements."

He turned toward her.

"I can't _leave_ you."

"Stephen will watch my back," she assured him. "_Go_."

Spurred on by all of them urging him – although Strange and Natasha didn't know _Alec_ was urging him to do something completely different than what they wanted him to do – Peter broke and ran toward the nearest entrance. Which happened (and not by accident) to be closest to the gym.

"He's going to come back with Thor, you know," Strange said, relieved that the boy was out of danger – somewhat.

"Hopefully Thor will make him stay on Asgard."

They didn't have time for any more discussion; the wave of attackers was coming, again, and they needed to keep the creatures out of the building to buy Peter time to escape.

OOOOOOO

He was wracking his mind as he ran, trying to think of what was in the workroom that he might be able to use to make a glove. Something metal that might buffer the energy of the stone. He looked down at his hand, wondering how big it would need to be. Iron wasn't going to do the trick, though. It would hold the stones – that was easy, although manufacturing it would take too long – but it wouldn't buffer Peter from the energy enough to allow him to be that close.

Even wearing the vibranium nanotech suit glove underneath it.

"_What you need is a vibranium glove_," Alec told him. _"Maybe we can go to Wakanda and see if Shuri has any ideas?"_

Peter suddenly stopped short – mentally and physically – as he realized they didn't need to go anywhere. He already had something that might work. In his mind, Alec was following his thoughts and the boy felt a surge of excitement and approval, even as he wheeled on his heel and headed for his quarters.

OOOOOOOO

"_What are you seeing, Carol?"_ Tony asked, making yet another run along the inner edge of the shield. _"Tell me some good news for a change."_

"_They're already engaging some national guard units,"_ she reported. _"But they're not stopping to fight. If I had to bet, I'd say they've been told to go for the city and not bother with anything less than an entire population to go after."_

"_Makes sense,"_ Steve said, dodging a swipe of an incredibly large staff weapon. He had to dodge it, well aware that taking a hit from it would hurt a lot more than a normal-sized weapon would. "More casualties and more chaos."

_"And more destruction,"_ Tony said, remembering as easily as Steve just how much damage the last alien attack had caused the city of New York. _"Keep them away."_

_"We're working on it,"_ Carol assured him.

Tony made another check of Peter, and realized that the boy wasn't beside Romanoff. He didn't dare take the time to call Peter – or risk distracting him – but he felt a surge of relief, knowing the only way Peter would have left Natasha was if she'd sent him away, and Friday showed him running down the corridors inside the building near his quarters.

Hopefully just grabbing something that he decided that he couldn't live without before he took the bolt portal to safety.

OOOOO

Peter was shocked to find the door to his quarters broken and hanging in pieces from its frame. Immediately, he was worried about Jack and Nutmeg – although it probably wasn't the time to be concerned about a kitten and a dog.

"Karen? Find Jack and Nutmeg," he requested, fearing the worst, even as he deactivated the helmet of his suit.

There wasn't a sign of a fight, and no blood, but –

_"Jack is in the lounge and Nutmeg is in a corridor near the command center."_

"They're okay?"

_"Appear to be."_

Peter went to the shelf in his bedroom, putting both animals out of his thoughts just then as he reached for the Ironman doll that the toddler loved so much. Or rather, the vibranium polymorph cage that was holding it safe from Nutmeg's constant attentions.

At his touch, the cage melted away and reformed into the simple block of vibranium, waiting. Peter moved it into his right hand, holding the doll in his left.

"I need a glove," he said to it. "As thick as can be."

As he (and Alec) watched, the vibranium formed around the glove of his suit, stopping at his web-shooter, and then forming several more layers to make up the rest of glove, fingers and all.

"_Brilliant,"_ Alec approved.

"Let's hope it's enough," Peter said.

He started to toss the doll on the bed, and changed his mind. Even as he ran out of his rooms, his suit disengaged just enough to allow him to tuck the doll into his pocket before reforming, and he reactivated the helmet as he ran for the workroom – and Vision.


	54. Chapter 54

Vision was sitting in a corner of the workroom, his hand splayed against a display, and the rest of his body completely still, eyes closed as he concentrated on the activities going on that only he and the Rescue suit (and Pepper, obviously) could see. He opened them when Peter thundered into the room, however, and managed a slight smile when he saw the newly formed glove on the boy's hand.

"Very resourceful," he congratulated Peter.

"Will it work?"

Peter didn't ask how Vision knew what he'd done – or what he was planning. The construct was one with the mind stone, after all. The mind stone knew, now, what Peter was planning – at least as much as _Peter_ knew – and that meant that Vision did, as well.

"There's only one way to find out."

Vision looked at the table beside him and Peter saw that the tools that he would need to remove the mind stone from Vision's forehead were already laid out in a neat bundle. Peter stepped forward, hesitating, even though he knew he didn't have a lot of time.

"Are we losing?" he asked, knowing Rescue would have a good idea of what was going on inside the shield and out.

"It isn't looking promising," Vision told him. "They are going to breach the shield, eventually. The number of invaders throwing themselves at it will eventually overpower the energy production. It'll fail a segment at a time, but it's inevitable. I suggest you hurry, if you're going to be back before it's too late to do any good."

"it might not, anyway," Peter pointed out, reaching for the closest tool – even as the mind stone flashed the proper sequences in his head to give him the instructions for removing it from Vision without doing any more damage than necessary. "I might not be able to handle the power when it comes free."

"Then you will have failed," Vision said, calmly. "But at least you will have tried."

"Don't tell Pepper what I'm going to do," Peter requested, stepping up to stand in front of him. "It would only distract her – and Tony – and worry them."

"I will not." His eyes met Peter's. "Is there anything that I _should_ tell her? Or _them_?"

"That I'm going to Asgard, and that I love them."

"Hurry."

With a deep breath and a few motions, Peter popped the mind stone free of Vision's body – which immediately slacked and grew an awful pale color as the power of the mind stone was removed from him, leaving him no more life-like than Friday or Karen – although still incredibly complicated and fully functional as an AI for Rescue.

With the stone in between a pair of technical forceps held in his left hand, Peter pressed it against the new glove, and watched in fascination as the nanites formed a pocket for it. And then he felt a surge of power course through the glove, leaking over into his hand and then down his arm. The pain was intense, and he gasped and went to his knees, unable to hold himself up.

"_Easy_…"

The pain faded into a dull ache, and Peter groaned, forcing himself back to his feet, looking at the glove. The gem was firmly embedded in the vibranium, now, and the stone was suddenly singing in his mind, muted but definitely happy to be so intimately close to him, now. It was a lot like the cloak in that respect, but Peter knew that if it wasn't for the vibranium protecting him externally and Alec buffering him internally, he'd have already been fried.

"It worked."

He couldn't help the surprise in his voice, even though Alec was the only one to hear him.

"There's no time to pat yourself on the back," Alec told him. "Let's get to the gym."

Peter glanced at the still form of Vision for just a moment, and then bolted for the door – and the corridor beyond.

OOOOOO

The spot wasn't large, but it was swarming with creatures forcing their way through the shield, their bodies – for the most part – being destroyed by the energy they were exposed to, but a few still making it through every few moments. Maw and Nebula ignored the destruction and the corpses that were piling up on both sides of the shield.

"I can dim the power for only a moment," Maw told her. "Don't hesitate or it'll close on you."

She nodded, unconcerned, and eager.

"I'll be fine. Do your magic and get me through the barrier."

She waited, ignoring the snarling creatures and the cries and yelps as they were continually decimated by the energy.

"Once through I'll hide you until you're out of my view," Maw told her.

"I'm ready."

She was confident and didn't need to be shielded from her foes.

The Maw waved his hand, his face impassive as he watched the power ebb for a moment. Nebula's very nature allowed her to feel that happening, and she dove through the barrier, surrounded by another swarm of the creatures. Many of them died, but she rolled to her feet, preening as she glanced at the Maw, successfully.

Then she ran for the building, dodging enemy and ally alike in her single-mindedness to find the control room and bring the shield down. It was what her father wanted, and she wouldn't fail him like her sister had.

OOOOOOOO

The gym was empty when Peter reached it. Empty of people, but filled with supplies that had been gathered in expectation of a defense of the compound. Weapons, mostly, but medical supplies that might be needed later, and Ironpig's pen, which was empty, now. Peter didn't hesitate; he ran across the room, avoiding the boxes and crates and triggering the spell that caused the portal to form, while at the same time reacting to Alec's sudden suggestion that he might need just one more thing that he hadn't grabbed on his way to the gym.

Peter's hand closed over the teleportation rock even as he ran through the portal, one moment in the gym, and the next stumbling into the wide open field just outside the Asgardian city that loomed above him, magnificently.

OOOOOOO

"_Peter just left the grounds,"_ Rescue told Pepper, the same instant that Friday was relaying the same message to Tony.

"Which direction?"

Tony was watching the HUD, but didn't see any sign of the boy in any direction.

"_He went through the portal."_

"The one in the gym?"

"_Yup."_

"Thank God." Tony switched his attention to a more external conversation. "Pep? You heard?"

"_He went to Asgard?"_

"Yes."

Vision was confirming it, and as promised, he didn't mention that the boy had stopped for the mind stone. Nor did he mention Peter's desperate plan.

"_Good."_

Now they knew he was safe, and could focus their attention on the battle, completely.

OOOOOOOO

Gamora left the roof, realizing as she watched the battle taking place below her that Thanos would be planning on taking out the shield at its source. Which meant he'd have someone going for the command center if he could get them through the shield to do so. With the amount of creatures making it through, the odds were in favor of someone getting through. There were people responsible for guarding the room, but they'd need help.

Her weapon in hand, she entered the command room, passing two SHIELD agents who were guarding the entrance, and finding several more inside, monitoring the battle – with Nick Fury standing close by. The director of SHIELD didn't miss her entrance, and his eye narrowed, slightly, at the expression she wore.

"Something I should know about?" he asked, even as she looked around, checking for any indication someone was there that didn't belong.

"Just making sure…" she replied. "Have you seen anyone…?"

"Not in here." They both turned and watched as Peter's kitten suddenly strolled through the door as if he owned the place – which he probably thought that he did. "Are you expecting someone?"

Gamora looked around, again, ignoring the kitten, who had jumped up onto a table, and then onto a shelf, gaining upper ground – which wasn't unusual for him.

"Let's just say it wouldn't surprise me."


	55. Chapter 55

The portal barely closed behind him when Peter found that his entrance into Asgard hadn't gone unnoticed.

Thor must have been anticipating something – or maybe there was some kind of set up with Heimdall – because Peter hadn't even taken more than a dozen steps toward the city when he found a wall of Asgardians coming toward him from that direction. All wearing armor, all carrying weapons and all of them so much larger and more intimidating than he was.

Thor was leading them, with his mighty hammer in one hand and an axe in the other, and beside him strode Heimdall and several others that Peter recognized from his time on Asgard. He stopped, allowing them to reach him.

"Peter? Is it happening? Has Thanos come?"

The boy nodded, trying to hide just how scared he was, and how frantic.

"They're attacking the compound."

"We'll go, immediately," Thor told him, looking at his lieutenant.

"There's a shield protecting the compound," Peter warned. "If you come in at the wrong area, you'll hit it and either kill yourselves or bring it down."

"How far out?"

"A couple of miles."

Thor nodded, looking from the boy to Heimdall.

"The Bifrost will put us outside this shield?"

"Yes."

"Did Tony send you for us?" Thor asked.

"Yes," Peter told him, which wasn't completely the truth, but he was grateful, because the addition of so many formidable warriors – men and women, both – would gain him the time that he needed. Even if the shield fell, hopefully. It also gave Tony and the others a better chance of holding out – and surviving.

The Asgardians might even make it so Peter didn't have to face down Thanos, after all – but Peter wasn't going to place all his hopes on that. Natasha had taught him better than that – and so had the universe, itself.

"_You're so sure that the universe hates you,"_ Alec said. _"You might be wrong about that, you know?"_

"Stay here," the god of thunder ordered, unaware of the conversation going on in Peter's head. "The Bifrost will overpower you if you try to come with us. Go to the city and wait for our return. Or to hear from your magicians."

Peter nodded, and started moving away, watching while even more warriors headed toward the meadow, and the numbers were steadily growing as they answered some silent call. A shadow fell over him, causing him to look up and he was shocked and awed to see a pristine white horse flying overhead, a woman on its back.

"_Pay attention to your responsibilities,"_ Alec reminded him, startling him from his amazement. _"We need to find the stone."_

"It's a _flying horse_…" the boy said, amazed to see mythology coming to life right in front of him.

Thor was one thing; a Pegasus was completely another.

"_You're allergic to horses,"_ the alien sorcerer reminded him. _"Come on."_

Peter watched as the horse landed, but then turned and ran toward the city, focusing on the teleportation stone in his left hand. As if aware that its time was now, he heard that familiar, cheerful, question in his head.

_Where?_

Peter focused hard, thinking about the great hall where he'd watched the play with the others. A moment later, he was gone from the field, and then reappeared exactly where he'd intended, only now the room was echoingly empty. He looked around, getting his hearings, but he wasn't sure where to start looking.

"We don't have _time_ for this," the boy muttered, more to himself than to Alec. "We need to figure out where-"

"_You!"_

The startled and angry tone drew Peter from his growing panic, and he turned, seeing the last person that he wanted to see standing at the entrance.

"Loki…"

The god of mischief's eyes narrowed, and a look of pure hate marred his handsome features. It was only for a moment, though, and then he visibly calmed himself, with a look of fear crossing his expression, first.

"_He's afraid of creating a portal…"_ Alec said, absently, in Peter's mind. Then he must have discovered the reason, and the boy felt a slight surge of admiration. "_Oh, _very_ good."_

"What are you doing here, boy?"

"Nothing," Peter told him. He didn't have time to explain – even if he'd been inclined to. "Where's the space stone?"

"What? Why do – where's my brother? Do you seriously think that I would tell you anythi-"

There was a flare from the mind stone, and a vision of a vault filled with a number of fantastical items flashed into Peter's mind - plucked from Loki's memories.

"Thanks."

Loki started to move forward, confused.

"What are-"

Before he could get the question out, the boy's hand tightened, slightly, and he was gone.

Loki scowled, forcing himself to keep his mind calm, and he looked around.

"Thor? What is _going on_?" He didn't get an answer, and he went looking for his brother, determined to make sure he knew there was an unexpected – and _unwanted_ – intruder in the city. _He_ couldn't do anything about it, but his brother could. And _would_. "Thor?"

OOOOO

Thanos watched with impatience as he waited for the shield to be taken down, allowing his horde to overrun the annoying humans and their stupid stronghold. His army was doing well, all things considered, but he was in a hurry. His destiny was at hand, and he didn't want to wait any longer than necessary to have it fulfilled. He was also eager to kill Stark, but the man was on the wrong side of the shield, and so Thanos knew he needed to wait.

A motion beside him made him turn his head. The Maw was suddenly standing next to him.

"She's inside the shield."

The titan smiled.

"Good. It will be over in a matter of minutes, then."

Nebula wouldn't fail him; she was so eager to please. So eager to prove herself to him and his cause.

They watched as Ironman and Rescue flew by the inside of the shield, missiles streaming down on his troops, destroying them by the dozens even as they fought their way through the power of the shield.

"We can bring more ground troops down," Maw said. "The reserves can attack the city to the south of here. It will draw more defenders away from here."

"I want Clyde. Send half the remaining armies toward the city. Bring the rest to bear on the shield – and to be ready when it fails. Remind them all what will happen if they kill the boy."

"Yes, Thanos."

OOOOOOOO

"Are you _seeing_ this?"

"I can't _miss_ it."

Clint was running out of arrows, and nowhere close to running out of targets. More and more creatures were making it through the shield, only to fall to Tony, Pepper and Quill, first, and those that made it through the air strikes found a wall of Wakandans, SHIELD and snipers to come up against. More were coming, though. It didn't look like they'd even made a dent in the amount of enemies.

Rocket had a fierce Gatling gun in his hands and was on the edge of the rooftop firing at will into the writhing mass of creatures. Drax had long since vanished into the swarm, but Hawkeye spotted him, occasionally, working his way through them, slashing and killing every creature that came close to him. Clint saw Steve and T'Challa methodically hacking away at the huge creature that they'd been dealing with, each blow landed by one of the two seemingly having only enough effect to keep it from advancing on the compound.

Wong was near Clint, spells flying as he carefully picked targets that weren't close enough to the defenders to do them any damage. He was watching out for creatures that were coming from the other side of the building, bolstered by the woman who was in charge of the London sanctum. Every now and then, one of them would fling a bolt of energy at someone trying to overrun Natasha and Stephen, but those two were holding their own, with the help of the tree.

More enemies were coming, however, their arrival heralded by even more stone pillars slamming to the earth, flattening the trees before unleashing thousands of creatures at a time. The bodies were piling up, and the magicians found themselves needing to clear them away, moving them to the outside of the shield beyond the river.

"They're going to overrun us if they get through the shield," Rocket said, shaking his head, but never letting up on his trigger.

There was a flash of lightning off in the distance, followed by a low rumble of thunder.

"Great…" one of the military commanders in charge of the rail guns muttered. "That's what we need; a storm."

OOOOOOO

He found himself in the same room that he'd seen the vision of in his mind.

Peter looked around, realizing that it must not have been too far away from where he'd been when speaking with Loki, since he didn't feel any of the exhaustion that normally came with using the teleportation stone.

"_You're going to want to leave it here,"_ Alec told him, even as Peter started looking around. _"The space stone will move you, now, and won't sap your energy."_

"If I can find it…" Peter replied. "I-"

He felt a mental nudge that wasn't from Alec, and his eyes fell on a small, plain, wooden box. With a tremor of fear for what was to come, Peter walked over to the little chest and opened it. Nestled inside, gleaming dully like a sapphire lit up from within, was a small gem. Peter could feel the power radiating from it, and once more felt what could only be called a greeting, tinged with a little cheerfulness – as if the stone was telling him that it had been waiting, and then asking what had taken him so long.

The boy looked around, but didn't see anything to pick it up with, so he simply held his breath and fished it out of the box with his left hand, counting on the vibranium of his suit to protect him. There was a brief stab of pain as he picked it up, and held it against the other glove – the polymorph glove – but it only lasted an instant. Either that, or it was overshadowed by the surge of pain that went through his hand, and then his arm and then shot through is entire body when the stone and the glove became one.

Peter let out a soft moan of pain, and felt Alec – and both stones – trying to soothe him. Only one actually spoke, though, as he tried to catch his breath.

"_You're doing great…"_ the ancient alien told him. "_You can do this."_

"Which one, next?" Peter asked, even though he knew Alec didn't have any more of an actual plan than he did. "Where do we go…?"

He felt the mind stone reply. A carefully planted image of a dark world with a lot of rugged peaks that seemed to go on for miles up into the sky. The boy straightened; he hadn't even noticed that he'd bent over with pain when the space stone had been added to his glove. Peter felt another surge of fear at the image in his mind; it was inhospitable and terrifying.

"_They don't hide infinity stones on sunny, sandy beaches, apparently,"_ Alec said, having seen the same image that Peter had.

"Any idea where it is?"

"_No clue,"_ came the reply. _"But we don't _need_ to know. _Someone_ does, and that's enough for the mind stone to guide you."_

The boy felt an agreement in his head, and then that other presence – the new one – suddenly made itself felt to him, once more.

_Where?_

It was a lot like the teleportation stone, Peter decided. Only the teleportation stone's voice was light, and new. This was a much deeper, and darker tone – and so ancient that it made Alec seem young.

Peter's reply was the image that he'd been shown, and a name came to his mind, even as he felt the mind stone point the space stone to an exact location on the dark, unsettled world.

Vormir.

A moment later, he felt himself being moved, and the teleportation stone fell to the floor of the vault with a clatter that no one heard.


	56. Chapter 56

Nebula had no trouble entering the compound without being seen. Of course, anyone who might have been watching for her was also dealing with yet another swarm of the dogs and the apes – and those on the roof were distracted by another wave of flying armored turtles that were systematically taken down by the railguns.

Once she ducked into the building, it was a simple matter for her to search for the corridors that looked more secure, knowing that was where she'd find their control room – and the only room that had guards on it, for that matter. As she searched, she listened to the sound of the battle outside the building and the loud booming of the guns on the roof which would resonate through the corridors she strode purposely through.

She came around a corner deep in the bowels of the building and ser sudden appearance startled two men outside a sturdy door. Without breaking stride, she lifted the weapon in her hand and took both of them down with two shots, and then stepped over their prone bodies and into the room weapon in hand and ready.

And stopped, unable to hide the surprise in her expression when she saw Gamora standing in the room next to a dark-skinned man and a few people who were manning displays. Her sister had a weapon in her hand, as well, and it was trained on Nebula the moment she made a target of herself. Nebula's weapon trained on Gamora as well, and the two women glared at each other across the suddenly silent room.

OOOOOOO

A soft alert woke Ned. Frowning, he reached automatically for his phone, which was pretty much an extension of his hand and picked up before he was even really awake. The boy looked at the message, and sat up, alarmed.

"Holy shit…" he whispered – even though no one else was in the room.

Ned was a guy who always wanted to know what was going on. Because of that – and absolutely without permission and well aware that he'd get reamed from every direction if anyone knew – he'd hacked into the security display in the bathroom of Peter's safehouse, and then had hacked the suit in order to keep tabs on anything that might be going on with the Avengers. And more importantly, _Peter_.

The teen scrambled, quietly, out of his bed, reaching for his laptop as he did, and turning it on. A few strokes of the keyboard and he frowned. He was only on Karen's peripherals; well aware that Friday (and Tony) would easily be able to find his tampering if he tried to go too deep, but it was enough to let him see some of what she knew. In this instance, though, she was offline in the suit and Ned didn't know what that meant – but assumed it was bad.

More than enough to make Ned's eyes widen in worry and fear.

Moving quietly to avoid waking his family, he turned on his TV, looking for any kind of news that might tell him what was going on with the compound, and then logged into a few chatrooms, as well, skimming the conversations to see what might be real and what was B.S. Large objects were detected in orbit, and there were rumors – ones that had a lot of credence – that the area between the compound and the city was being evacuated, and others that swore a huge swarm of some unknown kind of creatures were heading for New York.

"_Jesus…"_

OOOOOOO

Natasha Romanoff didn't see the blow that knocked her out of the battle of the compound.

The fighting was furious; she Groot and Stephen were making their stand near the south wall with a large group of SHIELD agents, protecting the entrance that led to the gym. Strange was picking off creatures with well-placed spells. He could have done a lot more damage by using more broad-spectrum energy bolts, but the Wakandans were now interspersed with the invaders, and spells didn't differentiate between friend and foe, so the sorcerer supreme needed to do it.

He had his back to Natasha, clearing out a sudden swarm of snarling creatures that were threatening to overrun their rear guard, when a warning came up – just a moment too late. A giant ape plowed over a couple of the SHIELD guys, swinging a huge paw at them and incidentally hitting Natasha in the back of the head when she turned to deal with a different group – and an injured SHIELD agent. Romanoff went down, and even as Stephen blasted the ape into shreds, the entire area was suddenly overrun by the swarm, and Natasha and Groot both vanished under the snarling swarm – along with everyone else, except Strange, who was lifted into the air by the cloak at just the last moment.

A somewhat frantic spell tore through the swarm, and once the closest of the creatures was disabled they were all instantly transported to the outside of the shield, revealing a jumble of limbs, and several still defenders. He settled to the earth, frowning even as he ran toward the spot he'd last seen her, and pulled up, confused. There was a solid wall of wood blocking his sight and keeping him from finding her.

A moment later, the wood shifted, and then began to retract, and Strange realized that it was Groot – and as the wood retreated further, it revealed a small area surrounded by the tough branches and twigs and Romanoff carefully cradled within that cocoon. The tree smiled, reassuringly, even as Stephen knelt beside Natasha, his fingers finding her neck, desperately feeling for a pulse.

"I am groot?"

Strange took a ragged breath, relieved, and he nodded.

"Yes. She _is_. Thanks to you." He looked at the other injured defenders littering the ground close at hand. The doctor in him took charge, automatically. The medical bays were all fully staffed, but there were so many injured all over the place that they were overwhelmed. He needed to get them clear – and was anxious to get Natasha in competent hand, immediately. He turned his intense gaze to Groot. "I'm going to move you and the injured into a room near the medical bay. Can you get the medics to them?"

"I am groot," the tree assured him.

A moment later Natasha, Groot and all the injured SHIELD people were gone. More determined than ever, Strange raised his hands, even as the cloak raised him up into the air a bit, allowing him to see the battlefield easier. Since he wasn't fighting near Natasha, now, and watching her back (and yes, he was aware that he'd done a lousy job of keeping her safe) he was able to allow the cloak to put him in a better position to see more of what was happening.

It was a worrisome sight; the shield still glowed in the dark of the night in those places where there weren't brilliant spotlights, but even he could see that the power was fluctuating in areas where the larger swarms were forcing their way through it. He flew up to the roof, joining Wong, picking off a few dogs as he did.

"Where's Natasha?" the other magician asked, turning his head even as he cast a portal spell in front of a falling turtle that opened much lower, smashing the creature to the ground well outside the shield.

"In the medical bay," he replied, succinctly.

"Is she-"

"She'll be fine." He brought up a shield of his own, as a handful of dead dog-like creatures were suddenly flung at those on the roof, as if tossed by a giant invisible hand. The corpses crashed into the shield, falling to the ground below, and Wong and Strange both looked for the source of what was clearly a magical attack of sorts.

"There," Wong said, gesturing toward the humanoid standing near the titan – who was merely standing on the outside of the shield, as if this fight was beneath him. "See him?"

"Yes."

More projectiles were flung at the roof, repelled by a casual-seeming wave of Wong's hand.

"Do we draw him out and kill him?"

"Of course."

OOOOOOOO

"What are you doing here?"

Gamora affected nonchalance., the weapon in her hand never wavering as she looked at the intruder.

"Stopping a madman."

Nebula's scowl was filled with hatred.

"It's a great destiny."

"He has you brainwashed, sister."

"I'm not your sister. You gave up the right to that title – or to being called daughter by father."

"He isn't my father. I _had_ a father," Gamora told her. "Thanos killed him – along with my mother. The same way he killed yours."

Nebula shook her head, only looking away from Gamora to make sure that none of the others in the room were going to try anything before looking back to her.

"It's a great destiny," she repeated. "Move out of the way, or I will kill you."

"Thanos would probably approve."

"You're a disappointment to him," Nebula told her with a sneer. "If you're lucky, and you beg him, he may allow you to return as a servant."

"I'll never return to him – or to the life of lies that he put me through."

It was a standoff, and the others in the room didn't dare to move, unwilling to cause a distraction that might tip the scales in a direction none of them wanted to go. Fury's hand was very slowly going to the weapon at his side, his eye not missing anything, reading the body language of the two women, easily, and knowing that this wasn't going to end well.

Before he could make a move, however, there was a flash of yellow and white and Nutmeg launched himself from the shelf that he'd been sitting on and landed on Nebula's shoulder. She started, turning her head toward the surprise attack, realized what she'd done too late, and turned back to face Gamora, brining her weapon back to bear.

Far too late.

Gamora fired, and a gaping hole appeared in Nebula's chest. She dropped, and Nutmeg launched himself away from the falling form, toward Fury, who reached out to catch him, automatically – careful not to get scratched. Furry body twice its usual size due to him puffing his hackles, tail and sides, Nutmeg tucked his head up under Fury's chin, ignoring the fuss that he'd caused in favor of a little attention, instead.

Nick watched as Gamora knelt beside Nebula's body.

"You okay?" he asked.

He wasn't worried about her being injured; he'd seen that the other one hadn't managed to fire a shot. He didn't want a grief-crazed alien in his command center, however, and wanted to make sure that it wasn't going to be an issue.

Gamora nodded, stripping Nebula's body of weapons.

"I am. Is he?"

Fury snorted.

"He's a cat. He's fine." Fury turned to the others. "Check our guys, and get them to the infirmary. Take care of her, too," he added, gesturing to Nebula. He nodded to Gamora. "Nice shot."

She just shrugged.

"It was bound to happen."


	57. Chapter 57

A flash of lightning and a low rumble of thunder heralded the arrival of Thor, and the flare of the Bifrost accompanied him and the others. It was enough of an oddity that Friday and Vision both made note of it, even as they were trying to deal with the overwhelming swarms of dogs that were coming through the shield more readily, now, even though the thing was still holding strong – all things considered.

"_Something is happening, boss,"_ Friday told Tony as they unloaded another volley of mini rockets onto the creatures below. He was still working with Quill and Rescue at the edges of the shield, keeping away from the center areas around the building, since there were allies mingled with those critters and precision strikes weren't impossible, but it was easier to just take out swaths of them at a time and leave the stragglers to the others. _"Something on the other side of the shield, a few miles to the north."_

"What do we have?"

The HUD changed, adding yet another display of information. Friday's sensors in the Ironman suit were far-reaching, and were suddenly focused on a large mass in the distance. It took a moment in the darkness to realize what he was seeing, but a sudden flash of lightning lit up the sky, and the charging Asgardians.

"_Looks like reinforcements."_

"_Is that a flying horse?"_ he heard Pepper asked, awed, despite the destruction going on around them.

"Looks that way, Pep," he agreed, as Friday focused on the creature for a moment, before turning back to the charging Asgardians. "Peter must have made it through."

"_Thank God."_

He knew she wasn't grateful for the reinforcements. Or, at least, she was far more relieved that their boy was apparently safe and sound on Asgard. This was proof. Tony didn't have time to comment – although he agreed with the sentiment, completely.

"They're going to be chewed up," Tony said. "Being on that side of the shield with no way to control how many of those things come at them at a time. Tell Steve what's happening," he told Friday. "Have him send some help."

"_Gotcha."_

"_Magical_ help," Tony added. He could see the magicians still on the roof – although he knew a couple were much further south, trying to help keep the swarm from making it to the city. "As much as we can spare."

OOOOOO

The place was dark. Lit by only an odd colored moon above them – or maybe just a dull sun, Peter didn't know. It didn't matter, though, because he didn't need a lot of light to see, anyway. The stone had deposited him on the top of an incredibly tall cliff. Two huge pillars and just dark rock all around him. He walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked down. And down. And down.

"Wow…"

It was probably the highest that he'd ever been, short of being in the jet – and that included the palace at Wakanda that was situated on a peak of its own. Before Alec could reply, Peter felt a tingle. A warning that let him know that he wasn't alone, any longer.

The boy turned, not at all uncomfortable being so high up, or even being on the edge of the cliff like he was. Heights had never bothered him. There was a man walking toward him, dressed in dark robes and face hidden with a deep cowl.

"Peter, son of Richard…"

The voice was soft, and deep, and sent a shiver down his spine. Not to mention that he seemed to know him. Peter wasn't sure what – if any – reply was warranted, but he nodded.

"Yes." There wasn't time to socialize, though. Thor and the Asgardians had almost certainly reached the compound by now, but there wasn't any guarantee that they would be enough to keep the shield from falling, or the defenders from being overrun. "I'm here to –"

"You seek the soul stone," the figure said, coming to a stop only a few feet away.

"Yes." His arm ached, already, and the thought of adding another stone to the glove and making it hurt more wasn't pleasant, but it was necessary, and Peter wasn't one to shy away from responsibility. "I need it to stop Thanos."

"The stone is incredibly powerful," the form said. "And possessing it always comes with a cost."

The form pulled back its cowl, now, revealing a skeleton face instead of a man's. Bright red and startlingly evil-looking. Peter took a surprised step back, but didn't feel anything in his gut that warned him that the skeleton faced man was going to try to attack him. In fact, it seemed to be watching him, curiously, as if weighing him and his commitment.

"Yeah. It's going to hurt…" Peter agreed. "I _already_ know."

He looked down at his hand, where the mind stone and the space stone were both gleaming, surrounded by the dull black of the vibranium glove he was wearing.

"A _sacrifice_," the form told him. "To possess the stone, a person has to lose the one they love the most."

"What?" Peter took another step back, suddenly afraid. Not for himself, but for the others. Panic rose in him before he could suppress it, but Alec was up to the task of keeping him centered, and he felt the ancient sorcerer's presence in his mind. Keeping him calm. The mind stone, too, wasn't willing to allow him to panic, just then, and it took steps to soothe. "Tony…"

He couldn't lose him. Even more, he couldn't let _Pepper_ lose him. She'd been so patient, waiting for Tony to be ready to settle down. Had finally married him and had-

The form raised its hand, stopping Peter's train of thought before he could get started.

"A sacrifice to prove that the need is great."

Peter frowned, remembering something.

"Wait. Alec didn't make a sacrifice, and he's here."

The red-skulled man didn't look confused, so Peter assumed he knew about Alec without being told.

"A soul for a soul to leave the soul world," Red Skull told the boy. "Not to possess the stone. That is what requires a sacrifice."

"I'll be the sacrifice," Peter said. "Let me have the stone, do what I need to do, and I'll come back and you can do whatever you want to me."

"_No."_ Alec clearly didn't like that idea. _"I could be the sacrifice. You probably don't need me-"_

"I don't love you enough for you to be the sacrifice," Peter replied. "Don't get me wrong; because I do _like_ you. _Really_. But-"

"The sacrifice has been made," Red Skull said, interrupting the conversation. "You don't love yourself enough to be able to make the offer you just made – even if it _was_ allowed."

"Wait. What?" Peter felt a flare of fear, thinking that Tony had been killed without him even asking. "That's not _fair_. He didn't even-"

"Not _Tony Stark_," came a ready reply, interrupting Peter's protest.

"But…" Peter frowned. He was almost certain that it had been Tony. Fear ran through him, again. "Pepper? Natasha? Which one?"

She'd warned him, he remembered. Natasha had said that it was dangerous to love someone, and Peter knew it. But it shouldn't be dangerous to the other person. It wasn't fair. Not to them. Had one of them been killed in the battle at the compound while he was gone? Had they been sacrificed for this stupid plan that Peter didn't even know was going to work? Was it even worth the effort and the pain to go through with it if he was going to come home and find that one of them was gone? Lost to him and to Tony – or to Stephen – and never to have a chance to be with them, again?

"Neither." The man raised his hand. Hovering above it – not touching his skin – was a stone. It pulsed with power and Peter felt the familiar presence that he'd grown to know while he'd been in the Astral plain. "Take it, Peter, son of Richard. Use it, wisely."

"But I don't understand," the boy said, not reaching for the stone. "Who was the sacrifice?"

The three had already been named. It _had_ to be one of them. They were who he loved the most. He was certain of it.

"You cannot think of one you loved more?" Red Skull asked. "One who loved you and raised you? Who became mother and father to you when you lost yours?"

Peter frowned; knowing who he meant, immediately, of course.

"_May?"_

The skull couldn't show emotions, but if it could it might have held compassion.

"There is no rule that says the sacrifice has to happen at the moment the stone is taken. Only that it must be made. She was the sacrifice. The price for you to have the stone. There could have been no other. Take it and go, Peter Parker. The universe demands your help."

Reeling, Peter was drawn to the stone as if being called, and he reached out the glove that held the other two, holding it in place and watching as the soul stone decided where it wanted to settle, and was then brought into the vibranium to join the others. Peter groaned as a wave of agony coursed through him, a reaction to the powerful stone's presence so close – and combined with the others – and the pain drove him to his knees.

It took a long moment before he was able to stand, and was aware of his surroundings, and when he looked around, the red skulled man was gone. He was alone on the peak.

"You're doing great, Peter," Alec assured him, trying to bolster him through the throbbing pain that wasn't just in his hand and arm, now, but seemed to be along his entire right side. "Hang in there."

"We have to find the reality stone…" he said, appreciating the support.

He tried to focus on the mind stone, knowing that he didn't have a clue where to look, and felt Alec's surprise, even as he saw an image in his mind. An image of a world that looked a lot like the one he was already standing on.

"It's here," Alec told him, unnecessarily. "Let's go get it."


	58. Chapter 58

She'd been on the planet surface for what seemed like days – months, even. The sensors in the little spacecraft had assured her that the air outside was breathable, but the servant had huddled, afraid, afraid to venture out for any reason. The planet was dark, and barren and very frightening for a timid soul such as herself. She waited, hoping that her master would send someone to tell her it was safe to come home.

She was tired, and extremely lonely.

The girl was asleep when he came. A proximity alarm chimed, gently waking her, and she opened her eyes with a scared gasp, looking around, fearful that that which she had most feared was finally happening. Surely something on this planet would eventually discover her presence and try to kill her. Or eat her. Or all of the above.

Trembling, she reached for the control panel, barely daring to move, but desperate enough to look at the display that came up to see what was coming for her. To her surprise what she saw was a young man – a boy. Certainly several years younger than her, even. He was wearing all black, and looked pale, and tired. Even more tired than she felt. Only somewhat worried that it might be a trick, she froze when the external sensors told her that he had walked up to the ship, and she still jumped at the soft tapping on the ship's hatch.

"Hello?"

The voice was young, too, and somewhat strained. The translator that she bore allowed her to understand him, but she thought that he must be human. She'd met a few in her time with the Collector, after all. Most were decent, but like all species, she knew that there were evil ones, as well.

She just didn't know which one he was.

The tapping came, again, and wasn't harsh or impatient.

"It's okay," the voice said, coaxingly. "I'm not going to hurt you. Really. I'm here to help."

Hesitantly, the girl stood and walked to the hatch, opening it, almost expecting that he would attack, but so tired of being alone that she was willing to risk it for the hope that he would help her go home. He didn't move, however. He simply gave her a smile, as if understanding just how afraid she was.

"Hi." His voice was carefully gentle – and she appreciated it. "I'm Peter."

"I'm Sirah."

"Are you alright?"

She nodded, tears welling in her eyes in relief. Surely he wouldn't be asking that if he wasn't there to take care of her?

"I'm afraid. And alone."

He nodded, too.

"I know, Sirah. It's going to be alright, though."

"Did my master send you for me, Peter?"

"I'm here for a small sphere," he told her. "I was sent to collect it."

She heaved a sigh of relief, and threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

"Does this mean I can go home?"

"Not, yet," he said, awkwardly putting his arms around her, but only holding her with one hand, keeping the other away from her skin. "I'm sorry. I don't have time to take you there."

"I don't want to be _alone_," she wailed, her face pressing into the weird metal that he was wearing. "Please… take me with you."

"I'm… it isn't safe where I'm going."

"I don't want to be alone," she repeated, brokenly. "_Please_."

There was a long silence, as if he was debating what to do, and she couldn't help the sad little sniff that escaped as she clung to him, desperately. She was so tired. So lonely. And so afraid.

"Okay," the boy finally said, still sounding somewhat uncertain. "I'll take you to my home. But you have to stay where I put you. You can't leave there until someone comes and tells you it's safe."

"Will I be alone?" she asked, stepping back, looking hopeful.

"Well, yeah. But-"

"Please don't leave me alone…"

He sighed, and then nodded, looking a little impatient – but also almost as afraid as she felt.

"I'll have someone come stay with you. Okay?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Can I have the sphere?" he asked, holding his hand out for it.

She handed it to him without question, and watched, breathlessly as he opened it, revealing a small, glowing, jewel.

"It's pretty," she said, uncertainly, wondering why her master had made such a fuss over it.

It was a gem, and he had many such baubles in his collection It wasn't even as large as many of them.

"Pretty painful…" Peter said, speaking to himself, though, she realized. She watched him take it out of the sphere, practically dumping it onto his right hand, where there was a black glove that was only marred by three other jewels on the back of it. They were glowing, too. "Step back a second," he told her, wincing as the new stone seemed to sink into the metal on his hand and he gasped, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth.

"Are you alright?" Sirah asked, worried.

If something happened to him, she'd be alone, again.

It took him a moment to answer, but he finally nodded, even though his face was pinched with pain and even paler than it had been.

"Yes. Ready?"

She nodded.

"Where is your spacecraft?"

"Don't have one." He reached for her arm with the hand that didn't have the bejeweled glove on it. "Hang on."

A moment later she moaned in fear as they vanished.

OOOOOO

The safehouse was dark when they appeared in the middle of the living room, but Peter didn't have any trouble seeing.

"_Hello, Peter,"_ Karen said, by way of greeting_. "Back online."_

"Who was _that_?" Sirah asked, clutching his arm.

"My friend, Karen. Hold still a sec." Peter freed his arm from her surprisingly strong grip, and went to the wall, turning on a light. "This is-"

Before he could say anything, another voice spoke out of Karen's communication link.

"_Peter?"_

He frowned.

"_Ned_? What are you – how did you-?"

"_I hacked Karen. Sorry. What's going on, dude? The internet is going crazy with rumors and speculation and the suit told me that you weren't anywhere to be found on the planet. Are you-"_

"Where are you?"

"_Home."_

Peter looked at Sirah, who was looking up, trying to find the person who was speaking.

"Come to the safehouse. Now. Alone. _Hurry_."

He was in too much of a hurry of his own to be polite. Luckily, Ned didn't mind.

"_On my way."_

The communications went dead, and a moment later, Karen was back.

"_Your vitals are extremely unstable, Peter_," she told him. _"Should I inform Tony and Pepper so they can have you checked?"_

"No. Don't even tell them I'm back – or where I am. Are they alright?"

"_The compound is being attacked, still, but the shield is holding thus far."_

He was afraid to ask if everyone was alright, and looked at the girl he'd brought with him. She was pretty young, now that he could see her more clearly. And he was feeling guilty, because he couldn't guarantee that the safehouse was really any safer for her than the spaceship that she'd been on, but he'd needed the stone, and she'd been pretty scared.

"_You did the right thing,"_ Alec assured him. "_You couldn't leave her there. And you didn't have time to take her home – presuming her master didn't kill her or try to get his stone back from you when you popped in with her."_

"_Yeah."_

He'd been uncertain what to do with her, really, short of leaving her in the safehouse When he'd heard Ned's voice, though, it had been the perfect solution. Well, as perfect as anything he could think of. She wouldn't be alone and Ned could keep her company – and if things went really bad for Peter, but somehow the city was okay, Ned could get her someplace safe. Maybe to the compound, if it was still standing when this was all over.

"Where are we?" Sirah asked.

"My home. I have someone coming to stay with you. He'll take care of you while I'm gone."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. I have to." Peter walked into the kitchen, and beckoned for her to join him He opened the fridge, and was relieved to see that Ned must have been by the place, because there was some food there. "Look. These are bottles of water," he told her. "And this is a cheese stick. Ned – my friend – will make sure that you get something more filling to eat when he gets here." He noticed for the first time that she was fairly scantily dressed. "Let's get you something warmer to wear while we wait for him."

He didn't really have the time, but time was his next stop, and Peter was trying to figure out how to meet up with Stephen without letting Tony and Pepper – or Natasha – know that he was back. Stephen would be bad enough, he was sure, but there was no way that Tony and Pepper would allow him to do what he was going to have to do and Peter didn't have the energy or stamina, just then, to try and explain it – or get their permission.

He led her into the bedroom, glad that he kept some clothes in the room there. Mostly sweats and lounge clothes, but that would work. He went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of sweats and then took a SHIELD sweatshirt from the hanger in the closet and handed both to the confused girl.

"Put these on, okay? They're more comfortable. I'll wait for you in the living room – the room we were just in," he added when Alec pointed out that she didn't know what a living room was.

"But…"

"Just do it, Sirah," he interrupted. "_Please_?"

"_Gently,"_ Alec reminded him. _"She's scared, too."_

"_I know."_ He did know. The mind stone was telling him everything that it could about her, just then, and trying to be as low key as possible to keep from hurting him while it did. _"She'll be fine with Ned."_

He closed the door behind her to give her privacy, and went out into the living room, pacing as he waited because he knew he didn't dare sit down, now. Not as much as he was hurting. It would be too tempting to just want to close his eyes and drift off, to escape the pain.

He had been waiting a few minutes, wondering if she was having trouble figuring out how to put the clothing on when he heard the door to the apartment opening with a quick knock. Ned came through it a moment later, out of breath and eyes wide when he saw his friend.

"Jesus, Peter," Ned gasped. "What's going on? The internet is blowing up with the craziest stories, and then when I got into Karen's files it said the compound is under attack and holding on with only a shield."

"A lot more than just a shield," Peter told him. "But, yeah, it's pretty serious."

"What can I do to help?" Ned asked, sitting on the arm of the sofa. "And where's Mr. Stark? What's with the glove? Rhinestones aren't really becoming on you. I was-"

The bedroom door opened, then, and Ned's jaw dropped as Sirah walked out, dressed in Peter's sweats and the baggy sweatshirt. She was looking even younger, but Peter realized that she was also beautiful – and exotic.

"Peter…?" she said, uncertainly, looking at him, and then Ned, and then down at herself. "Do you have other clothing? This is too big."

"No. Sorry."

"Who's this?" Ned asked.

"Ned, this is Sirah. Sirah, this is Ned. He's going to watch out for you, for a little while."

Ned's eyes grew even wider.

"What?"

"I need you to keep her here and keep her safe. She's not from here."

"Holy shit." He looked at Peter. "Is she an alien?"

"Yeah. Keep her here, okay? Make sure she gets something to eat. If something happens to me, tell Tony… tell Tony she needs to get home, if he can get her there. Or he needs to take care of her if he can't."

"Wait. What do you mean _if something happens to you_? What's-"

"I need to go, Ned." Peter hesitated, though, and he smiled, wistfully. "Thanks for being my friend."

"Peter…"

Before Ned could say anything else, Peter raised his hand and vanished, leaving Ned staring at the girl, and Sirah looking at him, uncertainly. The teen wiped his hands on his jeans, uncomfortable, now, and worried about his friend.

"So… um… Sirah? Are you hungry?"

She looked at him, equally uncertain, but nodded.

"Yes."


	59. Chapter 59

"What do we have, Friday?"

"_Shield power is fluctuating; they're attacking the fourth grid and overpowering the power capacities. It's going to fail."_

"How long?"

"_Forty-five seconds."_

"_Steve_!" Tony didn't wait to confirm that; he didn't have the time to waste on something so unnecessary. "_The west side of the shield is going to go down in less than a minute."_

Rogers and T'Challa – along with the majority of the Wakandans – were close to that section of shield, and had just finished dispatching the largest and most intimidating of the attackers. A brute that had left even Steve and the king of Wakanda bloody and reeling. He didn't hesitate, though, and he didn't question Tony's intel.

"Shift to the west!" he yelled to the SHIELD and military units that he had – and letting T'Challa know where the newest danger was going to come from so the Wakandans could be ready, too. "We're about to be overrun!"

They had barely moved when the section of shield in front of them flared and then went down – although the rest of it remained intact; proving that the technology that Shuri had employed was as brilliant as the girl, herself. The creatures attacking the compound recognized the opportunity and a large portion of them shifted that direction, as well – only to be met by a wall of defenders determined not to fail.

OOOOO

Tony didn't have much time to watch. The loss of that section of the shield also opened him, Rescue and Quill up to aerial attacks, now, and they were all suddenly dodging the flying armored turtles – which were luckily slow enough to avoid, projectiles being tossed up at them by the attackers' version of surface to air guns, and flying bodies that were being thrown by what had to be magic, since Friday wasn't showing him any catapults. They were being forced to go on the defensive instead of offense, and weren't able to supply much air cover over the surging swarm of creatures pouring through the opening in the shield.

Magic bolts were being flung all around them, as well, and Friday was reporting that the Asgardian contingent had run headlong into a massive swarm of invaders and were holding their lines with the help of a magician, but they weren't going to be able to come to the assistance of the defenders any time soon – despite the almost constant flares of lightning coming from that direction; proof that Thor was definitely causing havoc in the area.

Tony was given a heads-up by Friday, turned in mid-air and caught a tree that had been flung, and then threw it toward the weird looking person that was battling Wong and Stephen in what looked like some kind of sorcerer's duel – along with a small group of similar looking creatures that were giving the magicians everything that they could handle, just then. The tree was brushed aside with a casual wave of the hand, but the distraction worked long enough to keep the alien wizard from noticing the repulse bolt that Rescue fired right behind it.

The blast hit him, and he was flung to the side – right into a red tinged spell that Wong cast – shattering the wizard's body and leaving it laying in the already charred grass of the field. There was an outcry from those underlings that had been around him, and their efforts redoubled, but the truly dangerous one didn't rise, again, and Strange thanked Tony and Pepper for the assist by throwing up a spell that knocked three of the armored turtles out of the sky and flung a wave of ground attackers back through the opening in the shield and almost shoved them down the throat of Thanos, who was standing calmly near the entrance.

The titan waved his hand, knocking the one that would have struck him out of his way, and he looked up at Stark with a scowl on his face. Without turning to look at the woman that was standing beside – and one step behind – him, he spoke.

"Nebula must have failed."

"She is unreliable."

"Send the other ships to other cities. Tell them to find the three cities with the largest populations and destroy them."

Proxima Midnight nodded, activating her communications feed to the ships that were in orbit and started relaying the orders that she'd been given.

OOOOOOOO

Carol Danvers was facing the same problem that a few of the others were when facing the swarm that was heading at a steady run south toward the city. The creatures were interspersed with guard troops and regular army units and she had to pick off individuals rather than simply wiping out large swaths with a single misty blast. It was time consuming and they didn't have a lot of time.

The military was doing a great job, fighting a valiant fight against enemies that died, no problem, but were so plentiful that they didn't seem to be making much of a dent in the advance. The swarm grew, and continued toward the city – and toward the final line in the sand that was already being reinforced and strengthened by the regular army and the remaining National Guard.

"They're going to run right through them," she said, looking over at Wanda, who was picking out groups of the creatures and destroying them with the simple tactic of raising them up several hundred feet into the air and allowing them to fall to their death. "There are too many."

"There are more coming," Wanda said, cocking her head as another thirty creatures fell to the earth with sickening thuds. "And Thanos just gave orders to his other ships to attack other cities."

Danvers didn't ask how she knew that; Steve had explained to her that the young woman was connected to the mind stone and had no problem getting into the minds of those around her – apparently that included Thanos.

"I'll take care of them," Danvers said. She looked at the approaching masses. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll be here," Maximoff assured her.

OOOOOOO

Stephen lowered his arm for just a moment, watching as the final alien wizard fell to his spell, but well aware that they were losing, despite the individual victories that were littering the battlefield. There were just too many of them. He didn't know how the mad titan had amassed such an army, but it was like fighting a swarm of cockroaches that just kept spilling out of the woodwork – and they didn't have a light to turn on to scare them away.

"Aleese is asking for help to the south," Wong told him. "She doesn't think they'll be able to stand against what's coming."

"Go," he said. "I'll stay here."

He had to be near the compound, because that's where Peter would come looking for him – if he managed to succeed in his mission. His ridiculously dangerous mission.

Wong nodded, and was gone in an instant. Strange allowed the cloak to raise him up, high enough to be at the same level as the roof of the compound so that he could look around in all directions, already looking for a new target, taking out the more dangerous creatures and leaving the earth bound ones to those who could match them.

The sorcerer supreme suddenly felt the cloak shift, turning, moving him in a different direction than he was looking. Strange glanced to the west and saw a huge, dark, cloud coming straight at the compound. To the magician, it reeked of magic – but a kind that he didn't recognize. He raised his hands, prepared to rebuff whatever this new threat was, and was suddenly engulfed in a darkness so black that the magical light he immediately brought to bear did nothing to penetrate it.

A sudden silence came over the compound. An eerie lack of noise where once there was nothing but the sound of screaming, snarling and carnage. Strange felt the cloak shift, again, and felt the heavy fabric brush his cheek, as if it were trying to reassure him. Before he could raise his hand, again, this time to call Tony and make sure he wasn't crashing into something in the dark there was a sudden light from somewhere near the roof of the compound – almost blinding after the total darkness.

The cloak moved, then, and Strange found himself propelled toward that light, and then the sorcerer felt a surge of relief go through him when he realized that the light was in the shape of a person. A slim person with a black suit on – covering him completely – and a glove of the same color on his right hand. On that glove were four stones, and that was the source of the light.

Strange came to a landing in front of him, and the mask detracted, revealing the wan and pale face of the very person that he'd been thinking about.

"Peter…"

"Hey, Stephen… Where's Natasha?"


	60. Chapter 60

"She was injured," Strange told him, studying the boy's face, looking for any indication that he was overwhelmed. Peter was pale, and his face held that pinched look that Stephen had seen more than once when he was hurting and trying to hide it – or ignore it. "I moved her and Groot to the med lab."

"Is she alright?"

"She is. Are _you_?"

"No…" Peter shook his head, dropping his hand and hanging his head, just a little. "But I'm almost done."

Stephen stepped forward, looking at the glove, and reaching a hand toward the boy's forehead, to get an idea of just how badly he was being affected by so many of the stones being so close to him.

"How-"

Peter shied away from the touch.

"Be careful," he said. "I don't know if they can hurt you."

"How are you handling having so many so close to you?" the magician asked

The boy held up the glove.

"I made the polymorph into a glove," he said. "The vibranium is helping to shield me."

"Somewhat."

"Yeah."

"Are you using the reality stone?" Strange asked. "Is that what we're seeing? Is the battle paused – or just the two of us?"

Peter smiled; and it was an exhausted smile that made Stephen tired, too.

"You're the only one seeing it. Everyone else is still fighting. The stones are hiding me – and them – from Thanos. For now."

"What are you going to do? What can I do to help you?"

"I need your time stone," Peter told him, and there was just a hint of fear in his eyes. "Then I can finish it."

"It'll kill you…" He didn't even _need_ to be a doctor to see just how badly the stones were hurting the boy. "How can I help?"

"You can't," Peter told him. "It's almost done, though. _Please_. I promise not to try to rule the universe."

He didn't have the energy to allow the conversation to go on for too long, but there was no way that he'd even attempt to wrest control of the stone from the doctor. It had to be willing, because Peter wouldn't risk hurting him.

Strange drew his hands across the pendant that he was wearing, and a moment later it opened, revealing the green stone that shone so brightly – as if greeting the two of them. Or the rest of the stones. Peter was the last person that Strange was worried would try for dominion over _anything_ – much less something as vast as the universe.

"The cloak can't shield you?"

"Not from the inside," Peter reminded him – unnecessarily.

He lifted the gloved hand, again, and Stephen brought his right hand up, careful not to touch the time stone as he created a simple spell that would levitate it the short distance between them, until it was hovering just over the glove on Peter's right hand.

Peter closed his eyes, and activated the suit's mask once more, and then Strange watched the hand clench into a tight fist as the green jewel came to rest on the vibranium, and then was embedded into the metal as if it had always belonged there. Even with the suit on, he could see how the boy's entire body tensed. Peter went to his knees as Stephen saw the power of the stone flow visibly from the glove up his forearm and upper arm, to his shoulder and then disperse throughout the rest of the slight frame.

"Peter…"

He stepped forward, again, but the teen held up his other hand to stop him.

"I'm okay…"

"Freeze time," the sorcerer supreme suggested "Give yourself a break…"

"I can't. It wouldn't be a break, anyway," was the reply. The mask retracted, again, and Peter's pale face was once more visible, only now there was no attempting to hide the pain he was experiencing. Or he _couldn't_. "We're close."

"It's killing you."

"No. The power stone might," he conceded as he forced himself back to his feet. "But not until I finish what I need to do. You're sure Natasha's okay? I didn't feel her when I arrived."

"Feel her?"

"Like I did Tony and Pepper."

"You can feel everyone?"

"I can feel every_thing_," Peter said. "I'll explain later."

Or _not_, he privately added.

"She's fine. I'll go check on her, myself."

"Tell her I love her," Peter requested. And then his eyes lost a little of the pain, and there was a trace of his youthful exuberance for just a moment – and a hint of humor. "You might tell her that _you_ love her, too."

Strange rolled his eyes, despite the circumstances.

"What do you need from me?" he asked, again.

"Nothing. Thank you for trusting me."

He lifted his hand in what might have been a wave – or could have been to scratch his nose, really – and an instant later the sky was once more only as black as the night, and the chaos of the battle for the compound once more raged below him.

OOOOOOO

"Well done…"

"Yeah. They're helping me."

He could tell. The time that he'd spent in the Astral plane had given him the opportunity to connect to all the stones, not just the mind stone, and it was coming into play, now. They were killing him; he was strong, but the stones were so powerful – and getting more and more so as he added each one – but they were doing what they could to mute their effect, and between that, and the vibranium and Alec, it might be enough.

He knew instinctively that if they were being coerced they could have killed him, singularly, or flared up as a group and simply snuffed him out.

"Good thing that they like you, then, isn't it?" Alec said, trying to keep the pain in Peter's head from overwhelming the boy – and trying to distract him from that pain.

"Yes." Especially since they had a few more conversation to have – now that he was ready to make his final play in a game that he hadn't even known he was playing until it had been far too late to even think of forfeiting. He looked down at the glove he was wearing. "Let's finish this."

OOOOOOO

Thanos was waiting.

He was a little amazed (although he'd never admit it) at the defense of the small area, and the tenacity of the humans that were doing the defending. He'd expected the stronghold to fall to his army long before the night was over, and it just wasn't happening. They had more talent than he'd assumed they would, and although he still had plenty of blood to use up, he was growing impatient.

The titan stepped through the opening in the shield, ignoring the creatures that swarmed around him, still pouring in, only to be mowed down by overhead fire, or the slashing weapons of the oddly dressed warriors, or the magical attack of the ones who had shockingly defeated the Maw and his contingent. A motion above him drew his attention, and he watched with a scowl as the red and gold armored man soared past him, followed immediately by the blue and silver form that had been so destructive to his army.

They weren't firing, just then, however, and the powerful being saw them come to a landing on the roof of the building. As he watched, the two turned, looking behind them, away from the carnage below. A moment later a smaller figure stepped up between them. Dressed in black and wearing a mask, but Thanos' eyes narrowed, suddenly alert. Only one thing would bring the two of them out of the sky to form what was so obviously a protective stance.

Or one person.

With his eyes only on the three forms on the roof, he made a motion with his huge double-bladed staff and two of his great ape creatures immediately assumed a position that allowed him to climb up their bodies, making his way to the roof of the building to stand only a few yards from the three. The rest of the roof was empty; the massive guns that had decimated his armored turtles were now silent, and even the wizards and the rest of the defenders were gone.

It was only the four of them.

Feeling smug, knowing his victory was now at hand, Thanos turned to the crimson and gold figure, first, unable to keep from taunting him.

"I take it you've had a change of heart…?" he asked, not bothering to hide his arrogance.

The helmet on that suit retracted, revealing Tony Stark's head and nothing more. The human didn't look worried, but Thanos knew it was only an act. Stark was a born showman; he'd already figured that out. They'd lost, they were just trying to figure out a way to keep him from claiming the boy, now.

"Not exactly," Tony said. "Let's just say we've come to bargain…"

The titan snorted, amused.

"You only have one thing that I want. Give him to me and I'll make your end quick. Make me take him and I'll make sure that you're the last person on this stupid, little, stubborn world to die."

Now the blue helmet opened, revealing a woman.

"We might have something else you want," she said, calmly.

She looked at the boy between them, and the right hand came up, the gloved fist closed over something. The hand turned over and the fingers opened, revealing a stone. A slightly orange stone that glowed from within with power.

Despite himself, Thanos couldn't help the surprised gasp that escaped his lips. Then his eyes narrowed, again, but he couldn't take them off the jewel. His own gauntleted fist clenched, reflexively, and he looked at the still-masked figure, looking much smaller than the two armored forms that flanked him.

"It's true then…" he murmured, more to himself than to the boy – or the adults. "You can command them."

The boy nodded behind the mask, but didn't say anything. Thanos smirked, turning his attention to Stark.

"You should have had him use it against me, Stark," he said, his voice low and more dangerous than ever. "There'll be no bargain. I'll take him, and the stone."

And he raised his gloved hand, the power stone flaring as he turned his not inconsiderable will onto it.


	61. Chapter 61

The medical rooms were chaos. _Controlled_ chaos, however, as medics and doctors – military and SHIELD, both – worked on injured defenders as they were brought in. The numbers were overwhelming, of course, and most of the injuries were severe. If a person was merely scratched, they weren't going to leave the fight to get a band aid, after all. Not when every fighter mattered.

Stephen wasn't a stranger to the chaos, though. He walked to the door of the closest room, watching as doctors snapped orders, nurses took care of the more delicate bandaging, and conscripted helpers of all sorts carried out whatever chore, great or small that they could in order to help. The large room that he poked his head into first had held three operating tables, and enough equipment to support the people working at them.

The next room was just as big – and just as busy, and gurneys lined the corridors, filled with injured, who were either gritting out the pain as well as they could, or had passed out – either from pain for from injury – and were being tended by unskilled helpers, for the most part, overwhelmed by the sheer number of wounded.

Stephen looked for, but didn't see, Natasha in any of the rooms that he checked. He _did_ see Mantis and Groot helping, but didn't interrupt what Groot was doing to ask if he knew where she was. Instead he looked at the cloak.

"I don't suppose you can find her so we can check on her?"

It slapped his shoulder, almost excitedly, and tugged him toward the left most corridor – although it didn't leave his collar, and he knew that it wouldn't. Not while there was a danger so close at hand. He allowed himself to follow that somewhat gentle tugging and was led to one of the many conference rooms in the area. He found that it had been converted into a makeshift infirmary, complete with cots and blankets and rows of injured laying on them, covered with blankets to keep them warm, and also to protect them, _somewhat_, should the worst happen and the ceiling came down on them.

Natasha was on a cot closest to the far wall, carefully protected in a corner and bundled under blankets, and she didn't open her eyes when Strange picked his way across the room to kneel down next to where she was. Her eyes opened when his hand found her wrist, automatically seeking her pulse to check it. When she realized who it was, she gave him a smile.

"Hey…"

"Hey." He checked her over; his sharp gaze not missing anything. Her eyes were glazed – almost certainly a product of painkillers – and a huge unflattering bandage was on her forehead, wrapped with a thick layer of gauze. "How do you feel?"

"Sore. Sleepy. A little sick."

He nodded; not at all concerned. Sore was obviously from the hit she'd taken. Sleepy and nauseated were probably from whatever painkillers they had in the IV attached to her arm.

"You're going to be fine."

Her expression grew pained as she tried to focus on what was important – and managed to do so for the moment.

"Peter?"

"He's here," Strange told her, brushing his fingers along her cheek. "I just saw him."

"He came back?"

The doctor nodded, leaning over and brushing a kiss against her forehead.

"I'm going to go see what I can do to help. I just came to check on, first."

"I'm fine. How did he look? Was he still wearing his suit?"

"He's fine…"

She closed her eyes, relieved; the medication and the injury allowing him to lie to her far more easily than what would have normally been the case.

"Where is he?"

"I'm going to go find out, right now," Strange told her, his hand pressing against her cheek. "Get some rest, alright?"

Romanoff nodded, not opening her eyes, and Stephen leaned over and kissed her, lightly, unable to stop himself – and having no reason to try. Natasha smiled, but she was already falling asleep, again. The sorcerer allowed himself a moment to make sure that she was resting comfortably, and then got up with a swirl of the cape that he was wearing, and headed for the exit.

OOOOOO

The blow – because it _was_ going to be a mighty blow; Thanos wouldn't allow his victory to be anything less than resounding – never landed.

As the gloved hand swung forward to deliver a slap to Stark and then unleash the power of the stone that it contained, there was a soft – almost unnoticeable – hissing noise and Thanos suddenly found that his hand wouldn't move, at all.

Startled, he looked at it, only to find some kind of white goo stuck to the back of it, and held taut – like a spider's web. The titan's surprised gaze followed that string of webbing, hand still in the air, poised for the blow, and was shocked to see that someone else was on the roof with them, suddenly. Someone dressed in all black, wearing a glove of his own and holding the other end of the webbing from his left hand

Freezing Thanos' momentum.

He turned, confused, but ready to deal with whatever threat this was to his destiny. Even as he did, the hand holding the webbing jerked, suddenly exerting enough force to pull the glove off Thanos' hand, completely. The mighty gauntlet flung backward, seemed to hold in mid-air for a long moment, and then came to a clattering stop at the feet of the black-clad figure.

The mask retracted, revealing a ridiculously young face. The face of a boy. Pale, but resolute, and sheened with perspiration, despite the sudden chill of the night. Thanos frowned, his brain almost frozen. But not so much that he couldn't speak.

"What-"

"You _had_ something that belongs to me," the boy said, flexing his other hand, and Thanos was shocked to see that the glove he wore was adorned with glowing gems. "I'll take it, now."

The jewels - and he realized there were five of them – all flared, slightly, in response to the boy's words and the proximity of the other stone, as if in greeting. The titan's eyes widened as he realized that something was definitely not going to plan. His destiny was being thwarted.

"_You_!" He whirled, looking at Stark and the woman – and more importantly – the form in black standing between them. "But-"

Tony Stark smirked, despite the fact that his expression was slightly concerned, now, and even as he did, the form standing beside him lifted its hand, pulling off the mask that had been obscuring his face. Clint Barton suddenly looked a little less small and insignificant and his eyes were lit up with contentment and amusement. It was always fun to screw with an enemy, after all, and this wasn't an exception.

In fact, the bigger and more dangerous that enemy, the better the satisfaction.

The fake stone that he'd been holding fell to the rooftop without a sound.

"Surprise."

"But…" Thanos' eyes narrowed as he realized that he'd been tricked. He turned back to the boy, and he watched as the stone in his own golden gauntlet detached itself, suddenly floating upward. Toward the glove that was waiting for it. "You're _Clyde_…"

If Peter was confused, it didn't show in his expression. As Tony and Pepper (and Clint and Thanos) watched, the stone hovered in place above the glove the boy wore for just a moment, then settled itself beside the mind stone. The flare of power that coursed from the stone – joined by the addition of the others – so great that it made them all raise their hands to protect their eyes, and drove Peter to his knees with a suppressed moan of agony.

Pepper started to take a step forward – as did _Thanos_ – but a gesture from the gloved hand froze both of them, keeping everyone at bay while he tried to assimilate the newest surge of power that was suddenly coursing through him. Tony saw Peter's eyes lock onto Thanos as the boy seemed to catch his breath, still on his knees, and a long moment in recovering.

Then he got to his feet, and Peter's eyes were suddenly just a little crazed, making Tony wonder if the power was simply too much for Peter to handle. He looked extremely fragile, just then, despite the fact that he was practically glowing with energy, and the stones in his hand were beginning to mute their brilliance, as if trying to ease the damage they were doing to him.

"I _am_…" Peter said, his jaw clenched. "And _you're_ Thanos."

The titan nodded, calm, and over his shock, now.

"I am," he agreed, echoing Peter's words. "Don't be foolish, boy. You can't handle the power of the stones. They're killing you. Give them to me. Let me take that burden of the universe from you."

Peter's eyes narrowed – whether in response to being called a boy by someone who had no right to do so, or at the implied insult that he was stupid enough to be swayed, it didn't matter.

"They're _mine_," Peter told him, and the stones all flared at the words, as if agreeing with him. Tony saw the sudden almost insane glee in his son's eyes at the realization of what he was saying, but he couldn't do more than watch, just then, worried that he'd distract Peter. "The _universe_ is mine," Peter said, softly, closing the gloved hand into a fist.


	62. Chapter 62

"_Easy…"_

Alec could feel the control slipping. Could feel Peter's strength waning with each moment that the stones were in such close contact with him. The cautionary comment made Peter give a mental shake and he seemed to gain a little more clarity. More control.

"_Yeah… sorry."_

The alien sorcerer allowed just a hint of amusement.

"_Don't apologize. Just don't do anything _rash_, okay? Fix what needs to be repaired, but don't do anything permanent that we'll regret, later."_

"_Right."_

Peter turned his complete attention back to Thanos, purposely not looking at Tony and Pepper since he knew it would be a distraction he couldn't afford – and a nudge to his concentration that he couldn't risk. The titan was angry, but trying to hide it, ready to talk Peter into doing what he wanted – certain the mere boy wouldn't be able to withstand him. He didn't know – apparently – that the mind stone was telling Peter everything the madman was thinking, despite what he was saying.

Or he thought it wouldn't matter.

"You're _incredible_, boy," Thanos said, almost crooning, ignoring Peter's defiance. "The stones are the most powerful force in the universe and they are in your grasp. _Literally_. But the responsibility is too much for someone with the experience to understand what needs to be done. Don't you agree?"

Peter wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. Natasha, Steve and even Wong had all told him that it was madness to engage in a conversation with an enemy during a battle – despite the million movies that Peter had watched that told him otherwise. The good guy was _always_ supposed to have a comment to deliver, a quip to make the other person off balance. Peter was inclined to trust his teachers rather than Hollywood when it came to such matters, however.

He simply tightened his fist, and Thanos' eyes narrowed, deciding the odds of being able to rush the boy and take the glove – and the stones. Peter felt him decide to change tactics, much more familiar with bullying others and forcing them to do what he demanded rather than trying to cajole and convince.

The titan raised his mighty weapon, and made a move toward the woman in blue and silver, deciding that she was an easier target than Stark – and a _much_ better threat to use against the boy.

"Give me the stones, Clyde, or I'll kill-"

Before he even had a chance to take a step, the weapon in his hand was suddenly a long balloon, like the ones used for making balloon animals. Thanos roared in fury, turning on the boy, who now had his hand raised, palm facing out at Thanos – an echo of Tony's own stance that he'd adapted when the huge creature had made his move toward Pepper – his expression furious at the threat.

"_Finish it, Peter,"_ Alec whispered in his mind. "_The longer you wait, the more people his army is injuring…"_

It demanded a statement.

Peter knew that Tony would have been able to come up with the perfect one-liner to tell Thanos that he'd lost. Tony was a lot more clever than Peter, though, and the pain in his head and arm was mind numbing. All he could think of was a line from a movie that he'd seen so many times when he was younger that it was probably understandable that it was the phrase that came to mind, just then. A phrase that under normal circumstances would almost certainly have Pepper using all three of his names.

With a glare of hate at what Thanos had done to him, and had _threatened_ to do to him and his family, Peter clenched his hand into a fist once more.

"_Suck my fat one, you cheap dime store hood…"_

Focusing his mind, calling on the stones to do what he wanted – what he _needed_ them to do – Peter snapped his fingers, and felt a surge of power flow through him, originating at his right hand and coursing along his arm. The stones in his glove flared, just as he was somewhat aware of the sensation of having a piece of heavy fabric wrap around him, focusing that power even further, and sheltering him as much as was possible.

The colors of each stone became brilliant, and Tony brought his arm up to protect his eyes, catching Pepper and Clint both doing the same thing. Thanos simply stared, unable to move as the colors all merged into one solid white and spread from Peter like a tsunami of light and flowed away from him. It shot through those in front of him, and Tony felt a warmth of heat that was as soothing as the time they'd spent in the warm waters of Hawaii. The exhaustion that he'd been feeling from constantly being on edge ebbed, and his tight muscles were relaxed and refreshed.

He couldn't move, but was able to see the same light that had bathed his aches and pains trailing along the roof, and then oozing down the sides, and flowing out onto the compound grounds, moving through the fighting with gathering speed. Where the light went, those alien invaders that were attacking suddenly vanished, while the human defenders stayed, and those that had been injured found gashes and scrapes were healed, instantly.

Those who had been killed still lay where they had fallen, but even the most grievous of injuries were healed if there was any life in the body. Strange, too, watched as the light expanded, implacable in its movements and touching everyone and everything that it encountered. A wave of the light struck him as he stood at the entrance to the compound building, and the flagging magical energies within him were suddenly restored to full power as it did, filling him with a euphoria that left him feeling peaceful, despite the carnage that he'd been witnessing.

The light blasted through the compound building, destroying those creatures it encountered that didn't belong, swooping into the infirmary, the med labs and the operating rooms, healing those it touched, leaving a trail of concord in its wake – and a lot of confused people. Especially doctors who had been fighting to save the lives of people who were suddenly sitting up, clothes bloody but wounds instantly healed. It ignored the reactions of those around it, stopping to linger in the room where Natasha Romanoff lay sleeping on the cot, covered warmly and unaware of what was happening.

The light wrapped her, even as Groot and Mantis ran to follow it, stopping at the door to watch. The light – already so brilliant that it seemed to be blinding – flared when it reached her, and seemed to focus for an instant on her and only her. Mantis gasped as it appeared to sift through Romanoff's body, and a gentle glow hovered over her stomach for a long moment before it shot through the wall to join the rest of the building wave of light.

As Tony watched from the best position possible, the wave of light blew through the shield as if it wasn't there. Like a healing fog, it covered the countryside; overtaking creatures and defenders on that side of the shield as well until he couldn't see anything _but_ the light for as far as he could look in every direction. Able to move, now, he turned to his son, who was ramrod stiff, his eyes closed and his head somewhat concealed by the Cloak of Levitation. Peter was focused and glowing almost as brightly as the light that was emanating from him.

The billionaire looked at Thanos, and realized that the titan in front of him was so powerful that he was actually resisting the destruction that the light was wreaking on the rest of his army. Resisting, but not _completely_. As Pepper moved to stand beside him and Tony watched, Thanos seemed to become almost transparent, and Stark could suddenly see through him.

"You've _lost_, you bastard," Stark told him.

Thanos raised a hand, as if to protest, but if he was planning on saying anything, _it_ died when _he_ did, and suddenly he seemed to shatter into a million brilliant pieces, each floating away and then fading.

Pepper's arm went around her husband, but they didn't move, watching as Peter seemed to grow even brighter; the light blasting from him now, as if he were in the center of an exploding super nova. Then it faded, a little at a time, until they were able to see the black outfit that he was wearing, once more. The light was still moving, and Friday and Vision were both reporting that it was still expanding, having reached the city and beyond and growing.

Peter crumpled, though, almost without warning. He dropped to his knees, with his hand cradled against his chest, protectively. The cloak unwrapped from around him, and Tony realized that it was smoking – as was Peter's hand and side. Even as he moved toward him, the polymorph glove moved, coming off Peter's hand and forming a perfect sphere, with the infinity stones all on the inside, their power completely muted.

"Peter…" Tony whispered, dropping down in front of him, and aware that Clint and Pepper had, as well.

"Don't touch him, Tony," Stephen ordered, seemingly coming out of nowhere, moving to intercept Stark's hand when he reached out to touch the boy's arm. "You could kill him. Or yourself."

"But-"

Peter made a soft noise and collapsed to the roof, on his side, holding his arm, and still smoking – and then he was still.


	63. Chapter 63

Steve Rogers took a deep breath, looking at T'Challa and then at the white wall of light that was receding from the compound at an incredible rate of speed. More incredible was the wake of healed people and vanished dogs and apes – and even armored turtles. The alien invaders weren't dead; they were just gone. As if they'd never been there. And the defenders were, miraculously, healed.

At least the ones who were alive were. The ground where the fighting was heaviest – around T'Challa and Steve – was littered with the dead, too. Although it was a testament to just how amazing they all trained that there weren't nearly as many as there might have been. He raised his hand, triggering his communicator, but watching in case it was some kind of trick.

"Is anyone else seeing this?" he asked.

"_Do you mean the bright light?"_ someone asked, and he recognized one of the SHIELD commanders that had been stationed with the national guard units as a liaison_. "It went through our lines, but it didn't hurt anyone – and it looks like it wiped out the things that were coming at us."_

"_Same here,"_ came an agreement."

The communications were filled with radio chatter, describing what had happened wherever that particular person was calling from. Steve ignored it for a moment, looking around, again, and getting an idea of who had survived and what was going to happen, next.

"Is it over, then?" Okoye asked, suspiciously. She was standing next to T'Challa with a large group of his guards. All of them had blood on their ceremonial outfits, and yet none of them were even scratched. "Or will there be _more_?"

"_The light took out a ship that just started throwing troops at Beijing_," Carol reported over the comm. _"The ship, the stone pillars and the aliens are all gone. They didn't even put up a fight."_

"It's in _China_?" This was from Gradymatson, who sounded more than a little miffed and confused as he walked up to the group that Steve was standing with, and Steve was relieved to see that Jack was cavorting beside him, apparently none the worse for having been at the compound during the fighting, rather than evacuated to Clint's farm. Not surprising that Gradymatson was annoyed, really, since as far as Steve knew, the colonel was last seen on the roof of the compound commanding the railgun positions. "We didn't even get hit by the light, first. Something dark slammed into our positions and the next thing we knew, we were in the lounge – and your dog here was jumping on Lyle."

"_It's _everywhere_,"_ Carol reported_. "Wanda and I are watching it, but we can't stop it – and Wanda says we shouldn't even _try_. It's making a circumference of the planet. If it continues on course, you'll be able to see it again in a minute."_

"Tony?" Steve called on his comm, realizing that he didn't see any of the flyers, now, and fearing the worst.

"_We're here."_ Stark sounded distracted. "_Thanos is done. Start getting things cleaned up, will you?"_

Which meant that Tony didn't want to deal with it and was asking Steve to take charge. Not unexpected, really. He was sure that Tony would want to head to Asgard and get Peter back on earth where the boy belonged.

"Yeah. I'll take care of it. Carol? Are you still tracking the light?"

"_It's everywhere,"_ she repeated – and he could hear the awe and concern mixed together in her voice. "_As far as I can tell, it isn't hurting anything, or anyone. Planes have flown through it – and I just watched it go through a herd of elk in northern Russia and they might not have even realized it was there."_

"They were probably reindeer, then," Lyle said, absently, making everyone look at him. He frowned, looking a little defensive. "I mean… there aren't a lot of elk in…" he trailed off, and Grady snorted.

"Keep an eye on it, Carol" Rogers requested. "Let me know if it does anything odd."

"Like healing injuries that should have _killed_ me?" Thor asked, walking up, just then, as well. He had a large number of warriors with him – male and female – and Wong was walking with them. All were alive and well, although looking a little wild-eyed as they studied the battlefield they had walked through.

"Yeah. Like that."

"_I'm on it,"_ Carol assured him.

"What do we know about this light?" Grady asked, curiously.

"_Nothing_, yet," Steve admitted. "We'll find out as soon as we can. Let's check wounded."

OOOOOOO

"What do we do?" Pepper asked, watching with her arms wrapped around herself, while Tony had _his_ arms wrapped around her, as well. Mainly to keep from reaching for Peter like he wanted to do. "We need to wake him up."

Strange held up his hand, and it began to glow. Only then did he reach for the housing unit of the vibranium suit that Shuri had made Peter. He tapped it, and the nanites retreated, leaving Peter in jeans and a t-shirt, once more, but still eerily silent where he lay. Pepper made a distressed noise, and Stephen had to bite back his own.

Peter's right hand was blackened, and in some spots so raw that it was bleeding – and still smoking. The damage was most severe on his hand, but the forearm was blistering and red – and black in some places – and the injury went all the way up that arm, fading in seriousness as it came closer to his shoulder and disappearing under his sleeve. Tony came to his knees beside his son, activated one of the many attachments on the hand of his suit and was suddenly spraying something on the worst of the injuries – especially the hand.

Strange looked over at him, unable to hide his confusion. He thought at first that it was a fire extinguisher, but it didn't look the same, and the residue being left behind seem to be moving – although the horrifying smoking _did_ stop, immediately.

"Nanites," Stark explained. "They'll at least stop what might still be happening."

The doctor reached out and touched Peter's neck, clearly waiting to get zapped for his troubles, but breathing a silent sigh of relief when it didn't happen.

"He's alive," he said looking up at them, and then shaking his head in amazement when he looked at the fingers that were touching Peter's skin. He hadn't felt _anything_, but they were straight and strong – and none of them hurt – and neither did his hands, for that matter. The sorcerer supreme ran one of them carefully over Peter's cheek and forehead, and then opened an eyelid to look at his pupils. "But he's definitely in shock."

A couple of thick, warm, blankets appeared on the roof beside Peter, and Tony helped the doctor cover Peter.

"Do we take him to the med lab?" Clint asked.

"Yes," Strange gestured for Tony to pick the boy up. "There are far too many people there for me to risk jumping us into it, however. He'll need to be carried."

Tony retracted his Ironman suit and gathered his son into his arms, carefully, blankets and all, and he frowned, looking down at him. He didn't seem to weigh anything, really. Even less than before. Like everything that was _him_ was simply gone, now. Pepper stepped up, but with the Rescue suit on, she wasn't able to run her fingers through his hair, or brushed her fingertips along his cheek.

The doctor glanced down at the ground level, and the people coming out of the building – healed and thinking that they were ready to fight on, now. Only to find the fight was well and truly over.

"Will you bring my cloak, Clint?" Strange asked, picking up the polymorph and putting it into his pocket.

Even though the thing was incredible, and the vibranium was shielding the power of the stones, he was able to feel the suppressed power within.

It was Pepper who reached for the cloak; one gauntleted hand gently gathering up the heavy fabric – which was _also_ still smoking. She held it against her chest, and a corner of the fabric slowly moved enough to brush her ear before it went still.

A moment later all of them were there on the ground, in the area that concrete met grass, instead of on the roof. Clint opened the door, waiting for them to all go inside, and then went ahead, yelling for those people inside – mostly coming from the _infirmary_ – to make a hole to allow them to pass. Which they did. Tony didn't pay attention to them. He was watching where he was going, and was continually looking down at Peter who hadn't moved or made a noise. His face was flushed, damp from sweat and thinner than ever. As they made their way through the maze of corridors, Tony pressed his cheek against Peter's fevered one, holding it there so he could have some connection with the boy, beyond just carrying him.

They met Natasha just outside the main infirmary. She was talking to Nick, who had Gamora with him. All were upright and looked healthy, and Gamora was holding Nutmeg under one arm – which allayed at least one concern. Tony wouldn't have to tell Peter that his fragile kitten hadn't made it through the battle for the compound. Their conversation broke off, immediately, and Romanoff moved to look at Peter as Tony greeted her with a nod and a look that told her he was glad to see her standing, but never stopped as he followed Stephen into the room. She followed right behind Pepper.

"How is he?" she asked, watching as Strange efficiently shooed everyone away from the closest table, gesturing for Tony to settle Peter there, and then imperiously began ordering Dr. Adams and one of the National Guard surgeons to help him begin an examination. "Is-"

"You guys need to be elsewhere," Stephen told them all, looking up from Peter for the briefest moment. "We need the room for medics."

Several nurses stepped forward at the command. Some started guiding those watching politely, but firmly, toward the door, while a few started responding to the orders that all three doctors were now giving, turning their attention on their patient, now.

"What happened, Tony?" Natasha asked as they allowed themselves to be guided as far as the entrance. The cloak moved from Pepper's arms to draped itself over Romanoff's shoulder, and then was still. "What did I miss?"


	64. Chapter 64

A/N: I'm not one for writing many flash-back scenes like this, but I wanted to give it a go. I hope it doesn't make things even more confusing. Thanks so much for reading this!

OOOOO

_The shield was holding. The thing was amazing, and if they survived this mess, Tony told himself that he was going to give Shuri a kiss for all the help that she'd been. A very chaste kiss, he amended even as he flew by it to get a visual on the thing to augment what Friday's systems were telling him. The power capacities were all over the place, and the energy wasn't holding as well as it had been, but they were holding._

_Just like the defenders were. As he flew overhead, he saw Thanos standing at the open gap of the shield, but more importantly, he saw that Steve and T'Challa were in danger of having their position overrun. He angled in for a strafing run, with Pepper in the Rescue suit right behind him. A surgical strike with mini canons cleared the majority of the swarm without wounding any of the Wakandans or SHIELD fighters that were slugging it out with Steve and the Wakandan king._

_They were holding their own, but Tony wondered just how much longer they could stand against such overwhelming numbers. _

_Before he could ask Friday – hypothetically – for a number, the entire area suddenly went black. Not dark, like the sun going down and the stars coming out, or even the slow build of clouds when a nasty thunderstorm is coming in. The sky was black and so was the ground, the building and even Friday's sensors._

"_What's going on, Fr-"_

_A small beam of light, and Tony fell silent, realizing that he recognized the presence he felt inside that light, even as he came to land on the rooftop in front of it. He didn't hear her, but as he retracted his helmet, he saw Rescue landing beside him, and her helmet opened, sliding back to reveal Pepper's face._

"_Peter…"_

_Their son was standing in a pillar of light that was bright as a neutron star, and was watching them. His eyes were bright with pain and his entire being was so tense that Tony thought that he might fly apart at any moment. But the expression on his face was only filled with love for them – even though he didn't make a move to touch either of them._

"_Hey. Are you alright?"_

_They were definitely the ones who should be asking that question. Tony's gaze didn't miss the glove on Peter's right hand, or the five stones that were adorning it. They were killing Peter, and Tony and Pepper both knew it. Even more; Peter had to know it, as well._

"_We're fine, son." He wanted to ask him a million questions. Wanted to tell him to take the glove off and fling it as far away as he could and protect himself, but he didn't. There had to be a reason that Peter had separated them from the battle, and despite the calm that seemed to be all around them, he knew that time was short. "What do you need from us?"_

"_A distraction," came the immediate reply. "I need to get the stone from Thanos before he tries to use it."_

"_Can your stones overcome the one he has?" Pepper asked._

"_Probably," Peter conceded. "But I can't risk it. I need them all. If he managed to loose the power of his stone on the compound, anything else that I do won't matter."_

_Tony didn't agree, of course, but it didn't matter. Peter's face was pinched with pain that was obviously getting worse by the moment. Maybe with each heartbeat. _

"_Do you have a plan?" he asked. "Or do we wing it?"_

_Peter smiled; and it was a sad smile – as if he loved the joke, but knew it was the last time that he'd hear Tony's cocky response._

"_I have a plan," he confirmed. Then he moved his hand, and suddenly there was another beam of light, and out of that light, Clint Barton came walking toward them, joining Pepper and Tony. "I brought you some help," he added._

OOOOOOOO

Natasha frowned. She'd been sitting on the arm of the sofa in the small waiting room, listening to a very brief retelling of the events that had happened on the roof. The waiting room was filled with cots, blankets and pillows, but was empty except for Clint, Pepper, Tony, Gamora, Nick and Romanoff – and Tony was the one who told Natasha what Peter had done.

"He had them _all_?"

"By the time he was finished, he did," Stark confirmed. "He only had five when he told us what he needed us to do – but the plan went exactly how he'd told us it should – and the sixth one finished Thanos and his buddies."

"And this light you mentioned?"

Tony brought down a large display – normally designed for giving someone waiting to hear about their loved one something to distract them. It turned on with a gesture and there was suddenly a video from an external feed from outside the compound. Friday had been monitoring the movement of the light across various cities on the planet and it had come full circle back to the compound before vanishing.

The footage Tony brought up showed the initial flare, the sudden brilliance that had lit the place up like daylight and the light as it moved along the grounds, clearing the invaders and bathing the defenders in warmth and healing – and then moving away, silently, in all directions, but mostly toward the south, expanding as it did until it looked like a wall a mile high and hundreds of miles wide.

"And it healed everyone?"

"It appears that way. We have a lot of dead," Tony said, looking at Nick for confirmation. The director nodded, somberly. "But anyone who was _hurt_ – no matter how badly – got up and walked away without a scratch to show for it."

"Including _you_," Clint pointed out, looking at her. "I know you were injured; I watched you take the hit – although the tree saved your life. You should still be out."

"I feel fine," she said, frowning.

"So do I. So does everyone," Barton said. "There are a dozen doctors and surgeons here, and there's only one patient."

"The light couldn't heal him?" Gamora asked, knowing that they were all talking about Peter, of course. "Did anyone try to put him in it, or anything?"

"I doubt it would have worked that way," Tony told her – and Natasha, as if to let her know why they hadn't tried to put him in the light. "Maybe it works for everyone else but not for him, because he created it."

"What-"

Friday interrupted Romanoff's interrogation.

"_Ned is trying to reach Peter,"_ she advised Tony, using an external communication link since he hadn't bothered to reactivate the Ironman suit.

"What?" The billionaire frowned, looking over at Pepper. "I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised. The light isn't hiding, and Ned's going to know it came from this direction by now. He's probably trying to find out what's going on."

"He can wait until we have more news on Peter," Pepper said. "Then-"

_"Incoming call from Ned,"_ Friday interrupted, again.

"Send him to voicemail, Friday," Tony said, agreeing, completely. Then he frowned, because Ned would hound Peter for gossip, yes, but even though the boy was extremely informal with Tony, he doubted Ned would try to get the scoop directly from him. "No. Answer it. Ned?"

_"Mr. Stark? Hey. I was trying to talk to Peter."_

"He's not available, right now. Is everything alright?"

_"No."_ Ned was quiet for a second, and Tony thought he heard a female voice in the background – although there was also a lot of background noise from wherever the boy was. Then he spoke, again, and he sounded a little concerned. _"I have a problem."_

"We're a little busy, right now, buddy. Can it wait?"

_"My mom's going to kill me if she finds out I snuck out. I really need someone to come get Sirah so I can get home before she wakes up and I'm not there."_

"Who?" Pepper asked, before Tony could.

"_Sirah_," Ned said._ "The girl Peter left in the safehouse."_ Ned's voice dropped to a whisper. "_The_ alien."

"You're at the safehouse?" Natasha asked.

_"Yeah. Peter had me meet him here, about two hours ago, but I'm seriously a dead man if my mom-"_

"Hold tight," Tony told him. "I'm going to send someone to you."

_"Okay. Thanks."_

The call ended, and Stark shoo his head.

"Friday? Where's Wong?"

Stephen was busy, but he wasn't the only magician who knew where the safehouse was.


	65. Chapter 65

Wong was willing, and left for the safehouse only a moment after Tony called Ned to tell him to stay away from the magician's preferred landing spot.

"I wonder what that's all about…" Clint murmured. "Why in the world would Peter bring an alien girl to-"

He was interrupted by Stephen's arrival at the door, and everyone came to their feet, immediately, surprised to see him. It hadn't been that long, after all. Which made Tony – at least – fear the worst. Especially since the doctor looked so concerned.

"Stephen?"

Tony's question was laced with his worry, and Pepper took his hand – giving support and taking it.

"He's alive," Strange told them, brushing his hand against the heavy fabric of the cloak when the ancient relic moved over to attach to his collar, caressing him.

The thing was still somewhat charred, but more animated than it had been, before, and it had stopped smoking.

"How is he?" Natasha asked.

Alive wasn't very specific – although they all breathed a sigh of relief at that.

"I'm not completely sure, I have to admit. The energies of the stones created damages that I've never seen – and he definitely shouldn't have survived. It's _Peter_, though, and we know he's tougher than he looks. His heart stopped more than once as we were trying to stabilize him, but Doctor Thompson kept him with us while Doctor Adams and I took care of the injuries that we could deal with."

"Who?"

"The National Guard surgeon," Strange told Tony. "Smart guy; knows his stuff. Peter has burns over a large percentage of his body – the serious ones are his right hand, arm and shoulder. His chest and stomach are less serious, but worrisome, and we're not sure we're going to be able to save his hand. I've put him in a medically induced coma – for _now_ – until we had a chance to discuss possible therapies. And to keep him from waking up and hurting himself, further."

"Shuri," Tony said, his hand tightening in Pepper's grasp at the list of injuries. "She has more success with nanites used in the healing process than we do, here."

"That was my thought, as well," Stephen agreed. "I'm not going to move him, though – not even through a portal. We have him stable and I want to keep him that way – and that means no stress to his system."

"So, we bring her here and see what she can do."

Both men looked at Pepper, silently asking her if she had any objections to allowing her son's primary healer be a sixteen-year-old girl, but Pepper only nodded. Shuri had long since proven herself as mature beyond her years – most of the time.

"Can I see him?"

The doctor hesitated, but nodded.

"Of course." He turned to Tony. "The sooner we get Shuri here, the better. See your son and reassure yourself that he's still with us, and then I'd advise you talk to T'Challa and make sure he's on board with the idea of brining her here. If he says yes, I'll open a portal so she can bring any equipment that she might need."

"Thank you, Stephen."

Tony left with Pepper, heading for the operating room, and Strange turned to Natasha, his intense gaze going to her forehead where the terrible wound had been.

"How are you?"

Romanoff shook her head.

"I'm fine. Not even a bruise."

"Yes." He couldn't help but reach out and brush his fingers along her forehead, though, as if to prove it to himself that she really wasn't injured. He'd seen it, himself, after all. "There's a lot of that going around. The doctors are unnerved – and not surprisingly. Having a patient on your operating table suddenly sit up and push your scalpel away as a gaping chest wound closes in front of you can do that."

"That really happened?" Clint asked.

"Yes. I'm glad I wasn't here." He held up his hand, showing it to Natasha. "Apparently new injuries weren't the only ones to be healed…"

She frowned and then her eyes widened as she realized what he meant. She took his hand in hers, examining it, intently.

"That's incredible."

Clint looked over at Fury, who had been silent – mainly because he was listening to all of the radio chatter going on as the army, SHIELD and the National Guard were all getting themselves sorted out – and the SHIELD director knew what he was asking without a word being said. He shook his head.

"The eye's still gone."

The scarring was gone, too, though, they could see. It was weird seeing Nick without it – although the eye patch still gave him the familiar sinister appearance they were all familiar with.

"That's so-"

Another interruption. This time it was Wong, who walked into the room with a young woman following him. She was pretty, with a slightly alien cast to her features and was wearing an oversized jacket over what was obviously a scanty outfit – and she looked terrified.

"How's Peter?" Wong asked, seeing Strange – and not seeing Tony or Pepper, who he assumed were checking on the boy.

"He's badly hurt. Who's this?"

The magician smirked.

"This is Sirah. From what little Ned and she have told me, Peter found her stranded on a planet, took her master's jewel from her and brought her home with him. Ned said that Peter asked him to keep an eye on her for him."

"Her _master_?" Natasha echoed.

"Peter's taste in souvenirs is definitely getting better," Clint said, amused at the confusion they were all feeling.

The girl had been hiding behind Wong, but her eyes widened when she saw Gamora.

"You were on my world," she exclaimed. "Speaking with my master. With the tree – and the talking beaver. And Star Lord."

Everyone turned to Gamora.

"You know her?"

"Is your master the Collector?" Gamora asked the girl.

"Some call him that," she agreed.

Gamora looked at the others.

"Now we know how Peter found the reality stone."

"Yes," Stephen said. "I just don't understand why he brought Sirah home with him."

"I begged him not to leave me," she admitted. "I might have cried…"

Natasha smiled, too.

"That would explain it."

Peter wouldn't have had any defense against someone who was afraid and crying. Of course he brought her home.

"What do we do with her?" Fury asked, looking maybe a little less sinister with Nutmeg sleeping tucked under his arm.

"We'll figure that out, later," Romanoff decided. She looked at the girl. "Are you injured?"

"No."

"Ned told me that he made her a TV dinner," Wong reported. "He asked me to pass on that if his mother is awake when he gets home, he'd like to be buried in the suit he got for homecoming, and that he's glad that he had a chance to see Montana…"

Whatever that meant.

OOOOOOOO

There were several people in the room. Of course, with a full compliment of medical personnel and only one injured person in the compound, they probably shouldn't be surprised. Tony was surprised, though, when he saw the man in the green scrubs who was standing near the door, talking to Doctor Adams. He realized that he recognized him – and the man knew him, immediately, of course.

"Mr. Stark," he said, softly – in deference to Peter's sleeping form. "It's good to see you, again."

Tony took the hand that was offered, and nodded his agreement.

"Doctor Thompson. I didn't know you were in the military."

The man nodded.

"_Colonel_ Thompson when I'm in uniform," he said with a self-depreciating smile. He turned to Pepper. "Mrs. Stark."

Pepper realized that the man was Flash's father. She had seen him before, too. Of course. She took his hand.

"You're taking care of Peter?"

"No. I was in on his initial care, but burns aren't my specialty. I'm a heart surgeon. There are many talented people here, so I'll turn his care over to them."

Tony turned his attention to Doctor Adams, who he knew much better – and who knew _Peter_ – and his special abilities. He was certain that Dr. Thompson hadn't been told about any of them.

"Stephen said he's in a coma?"

"_Medically induced_," she confirmed, walking over to the bed with Tony and Pepper right behind her. "He's badly injured and we didn't want him moving any more than necessary until we can get him more stable."

Pepper looked down at Peter while the doctor spoke. The boy was propped slightly on his left side, asleep, and swathed in bandages that covered his right arm and hand, completely, and some of his chest. His face was pale, and sheened with perspiration and there were a number of monitors and wires, tubes and machines of all sorts attached to various places on his body. A warm blanket was covering him from the chest down, but he looked vulnerable, and Pepper felt her eyes watering at the sight.

"How long will you keep him in the coma?" she heard Tony ask as she leaned over and brushed her fingers, carefully, against his forehead, moving his bangs from his face.

He was burning up, but she decided that that should have been expected. It was magic, after all, and they already knew how badly he reacted to all things magical.

"As long as we need to," came Adams' reply. "Stephen suggested a high-tech treatment out of Wakanda…"

"Yes, he told me. We're on board with that," Tony agreed, moving to stand near Pepper and as close to Peter as he could without pushing his wife aside. Pepper felt his hand come to the small of her back and she looked up at him. His face was resolute and worried, but he caressed her back, reassuringly. "Don't worry, Pep. He's a tough guy, right? He's pulled through some pretty serious stuff, already. He'll be fine."

She nodded, trying to look less concerned than she was, to give him one less person to worry about.

"I know. Let's talk to T'Challa, though."

The sooner they got Shuri here, the better, as far as she was concerned.


	66. Chapter 66

They were still talking in soft tones when Tony and Pepper returned to the little waiting room. Natasha watched Tony's expression as he entered, knowing full well that it would tell her how the boy had looked, and give her an idea of just how concerned the man was. From the looks of things, it was pretty serious, and she had to fight down the desire to go check on him, herself.

There was time to do it, later, and she wanted to hear what the next step was.

Tony noticed Sirah immediately, of course, as they entered.

"This is the girl Ned mentioned?"

She was young. At least, he assumed that she was.

"Yes," Wong replied. "Peter called Ned, told him to come and watch her and feed her – and said that if anything happened, you were supposed to get her home, or take care of her."

"Get her home?" Tony looked confused – probably wondering how he was supposed to do that when he didn't even know where she was from. "Do-"

"We know where she's from, Tony," Stephen said, smoothly interrupting the beginning of yet another thing for Stark to worry about. "We can figure that out, later. She's in no danger, here."

"You saw Peter?" Fury asked, changing the subject, purposefully, to help Tony focus a little.

The man's eyes were looking a little wild.

"Yes. He didn't wake."

"I told you that he wouldn't," Strange reminded him.

"I know." He looked at Fury. "Have we heard from Steve? Or T'Challa?"

"Both. They're with Thor and some of the others. Thanks to the light, we don't have any wounded – even walking wounded – but there are dead to be taken care of, and Steve's handling that with the military liaisons."

"What are we looking at for numbers?" Tony asked. Yes, they'd won, and it could have been so much worse, but _any_ dead were too many, and he'd seen how furious the fighting had been from the sky. It must have been so much worse to be on the ground experiencing it. "Any idea?"

"Not as many as you might think," Clint replied. "These things were focused on trying to get through the lines. They'd run someone over, and go on to the next, rather than make sure they were dead so they couldn't get up to attack them from behind. The _casualties_ would have been ridiculously high, but the KIA list won't be as bad as it could have been."

Tony nodded, appreciating the way that Barton had put it, and certain that he'd done it on purpose.

"We need to talk to T'Challa about getting Shuri back here," he said. "And I want to see what kind of damage control we're going to need on this light…"

"No damage control," Fury said, even as Natasha moved a little to the side to make a call to Steve, since T'Challa didn't have a communications device to interact with the Avengers. Something that they should probably rectify, she thought, absently, as she listened to Fury and Steve's reply at the same time. "This side of the world was asleep – for the most part – and didn't see what was going on. The _other_ side of the planet were well aware that a big-ass light was bearing down on them and that when it hit, people who were sick or injured were suddenly absolutely fine."

"It healed people on the other side of the planet?" Pepper asked, amazed.

"Preliminary reports are saying that it _did_. Like our surgeons, here, anyone in the middle of an operation was suddenly upright and fine, and from what we're hearing there are already plenty of happy people trying to figure out what the light was that healed them."

"There's no way to hide where it originated, either" Romanoff said. "Not even Friday could bury this one. There were just too many people who saw it and too many video cameras. It's going to point right back to the compound."

"They don't need to know exactly what it _was_, though," Tony decided. "We'll spin it however we can to keep Peter and the stones out of the discussion."

"We can _try_." She shrugged. "You know what the internet is like, Tony. They'll know more than we do – or will make it up as they go along, using what little facts they have."

"We'll deal with it, later," Strange told them all. "I-"

T'Challa and Steve walked in, just then, along with Thor, who was looking huge and imposing, and studying Gamora, immediately. The newcomers all wore serious expressions and Tony had a feeling that they'd stopped to look in on Peter, first. They were brought up to speed on what had happened with a few succinct sentences, but didn't ask for anyone to elaborate, due to the seriousness of Peter's situation. The King of Wakanda was more than willing to allow his sister to come, and he didn't even point out that she had to agree, as well.

Shuri would come, he knew.

"I have dead to take home, as well," he added, somberly, when Stephen offered to make the portal to provide the transport.

"Is there anything we can do?" Tony asked. "They came to help us, after all."

"They came to stop a madman who was threatening the entire planet – _Wakanda_ included," T'Challa corrected. "They fought and died for their country and their people – as they all swore on their honor that they would. Nothing needs done, Tony. Their families will be proud of them, and will honor them in song and story until the end of time."

There was almost a traditional sound to the words and Stark wasn't the only one to think that it almost was certainly not the first time such words had been spoken.

"Let me know, though, if there is…" Tony said, wanting the young ruler to understand how much he appreciated the assist. The addition of the Wakandans – and Shuri's help with the shield – had absolutely made the difference. "We'll do whatever you need."

"I will let you know," T'Challa assured him, as if he understood – and he probably did. "I will come back when Shuri comes, if you do not mind? There are still many questions I would like answered, when the time is more appropriate."

"Of course."

T'Challa looked at Strange, who nodded, and looked at Tony.

"We're going to turn the operating room into Peter's recovery room, unless it doesn't work for Shuri and her equipment. While I'm gone, I'll have Doctor Adams set everything up."

"Need me?" Wong asked.

"No. Check with the others, make sure they're alright. See if they need anything."

"Do I tell them about the infinity stones?"

"No. Peter isn't a threat to the world – and never _was_ – but the last thing we want is for anyone to get any ideas and maybe make a play for the stones while he's incapacitated."

"Where are they?" Natasha asked, curiously.

The sorcerer reached his perfectly healed hand into his pocket, and pulled out a sphere, roughly the size of a softball. It was black, and obviously made of Vibranium since it was the same color as the suit that Peter wore – and that T'Challa was still wearing. He handed it to Tony.

"Put that someplace safe," he suggested.

"You don't think that _you_ should hold onto it?"

"I think it's best in the hands of someone who isn't tempted by the power they contain. Even _myself_. Put it in a safe, somewhere, until we can get Peter to open it. I _do_ want _my_ stone back."

"And we need the mind stone to get Vision back on his feet, too," Pepper added.

Strange reached into the same pocket and pulled out the housing for Peter's suit, as well. Tony took it from him without a word, but then the doctor looked at Pepper as his other hand reached into the other pocket. This time he pulled out the stuffed Ironman doll that the toddler was so find of.

"This was in his pocket," he said, handing it to Pepper, who took it with a soft, strangled noise as she tried to force down a sudden sob. "You should probably hold onto that for him. Until he's ready to take it back and hide it under his pillow so no one knows he has it."

Tony handed the polymorph sphere and the nanite housing to Fury, who was already juggling Nutmeg, and took Pepper into his arms, holding her tightly.

"I'm going to go take care of things," Steve said, softly, looking at Tony and Pepper, but addressing Nick. "I'll be around, if you need me."

"I'll come help," Clint told him.

"I have dead to take home, as well," Thor said.

Not very many, though, luckily. The Asgardians were incredibly durable.

"I'll make you a portal when you're ready," Wong said.

"I'm going to check on Quill," Gamora said, deciding that she didn't need to be present at what was obviously a very private moment for Pepper and Tony. "He hasn't been heard from, and that usually means he's causing trouble." She looked at Sirah. "Come with me, child," she said. "I'll introduce you to Star Lord."

The alien nodded, still looking confused, but also looking interested., and the others all left the room, except Fury and Natasha, who stood silent vigilance over Tony and Pepper, keeping anyone else out of the room unless they absolutely had reason to be there – which no one really did, just then.

Stark guided Pepper over to the sofa and pulled her down with him, to make sure she was more comfortable, and then tucked her head on his shoulder, and his chin on her head while he held her.

"Don't worry, honey," he murmured. "We'll get him through this. Shuri almost certainly has one more trick up her sleeve."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then I'll _make_ one." He kissed her temple, lovingly, and then crooned reassurances to her, lost in the little bubble that only contained the two of them, just then.

Time enough to worry about everything else once Peter was on his feet and back with them.


	67. Chapter 67

A motion in front of him drew Tony out of the private world that he and Pepper were sharing, just then. She was engulfed in his arms, not quite dozing, but so numb from the events of the night that she needed to be silent to process them – and, of course, dealing with the danger that their son was in. Tony was in the same boat, of course, and as he held Pepper, he was thinking back to the battle for the compound, trying to think of what else he might have been able to do. What he could have had Peter do that might have hurt him less than the stones had.

So far, despite his brilliant brain, he hadn't come up with anything that would have worked as well as what Peter had done.

He opened his eyes, sensing that he wasn't alone, and saw Shuri kneeling down in front of the sofa that he and Pepper were sitting on. The Wakandan princess' eyes were worried and filled with compassion and damp with tears that must have already been shed.

"I am sorry to intrude," she said, softly.

Pepper sat up a little when she realized Shuri was there, and Tony let her go, save for his hold on her hand.

"You're not intruding, honey," Tony told her, honestly. "Did you see him?"

A single tear ran down Shuri's cheek and she nodded.

"I have. The injuries are severe."

"Can you help him?" Pepper asked.

She nodded, again, and Tony looked around the room. He saw that Natasha was there, holding Nutmeg, and Stephen was standing beside her. Other than that, the room was empty save for themselves.

"I want to try something that is still somewhat experimental, but I believe it will work better than simply using nanotech. I developed it for burns, but have never had a patient seriously enough injured that I thought it necessary."

"_Experimental_?" Pepper echoed.

"Experimental doesn't mean untested, Pep," Tony assured her, gently. He was a lot more familiar with the word than she was. For that matter, aside from Shuri (probably) he was a lot more familiar with the word than anyone on the _planet_, most likely. "What is it?"

"Will you come with me?" she asked, standing up. He saw that she was dressed in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers. She didn't look like a princess, just then, but her movements were graceful and courtly, and there was no doubt that she was. Even then. "It would be easier to explain if I show you."

Meaning that she'd brought it with her from home – just in case.

Tony and Pepper both nodded, and Tony got up, first, his hand helping Pepper to her feet. The five of them moved to the operating room down the hall from the room that they'd been in, and Tony frowned when they walked in the door – even though his gaze immediately went to the bed that Peter was sleeping in. Before either of them could wander over to watch him, Shuri led them to a large glass tank that looked like nothing more than a huge fish tank of some sort. It was dimply lit from the inside with a muted blue light, and there were monitors of various types attached directly to the side. Not glass, but not plastic, Tony saw, immediately.

"An immersion therapy?" he asked.

He was always up to date on the latest technology, even when it didn't actually apply to anything that he did, Researching things like that kept him out of trouble when he was in between projects, and that kept Pepper happy.

Shuri nodded.

"With a twist." She went over to stand by the tank. "I'm certain the nanites can heal Peter's injuries, but the process takes a long time, and can be painful."

"Which is why we have him in the coma," Stephen added, moving to stand beside the girl, while Natasha went to stand on the other side of Pepper, flanking her to add to the support that Tony was providing. "To keep him from waking and moving too much – especially considering how strong he is."

"He could hurt himself and cause damage to the skin and tissue that we are healing."

Tony and Pepper both nodded their understanding.

"You want to put him in water?" Pepper asked, guessing.

"It isn't regular water, however. It is nutrient rich, laced with nanites and starches that will make it more buoyant than regular water – and is _oxygenated_," Shuri said, nodding. "He would be _fully_ immersed. The water will support his body and keep from having any particular position from rubbing and maybe slowing his healing, and the nanites can work on healing him without the need to regenerate themselves as the fluid in the tank would do it, instead."

"Drawbacks?" Tony asked, looking between Stephen and Shuri.

"You won't be able to touch him," Strange replied. "Once he goes in, he's there until he heals enough that we can safely put him in a bed to finish the process."

"And it can be unsettling to see," Shuri added, soberly. "He will be underwater, and even though he will not _need_ to breathe, watching him may make you feel like trying to pull him out to rescue him."

Tony looked at Pepper, who was staring at the tank.

"Any _medical_ drawbacks?" Pepper asked, finally.

"None," Stephen said. "I agree with Shuri that this is his best bet – especially to save the hand. If he goes into the water, we won't have to worry about infection, and it will make use of his healing abilities by a factor of forty percent."

"_Sixty_," Shuri corrected. "We would use the nanotech, regardless, but it has to be _your_ decision, of course."

"Do it," Pepper said, immediately. "If it'll help, then we'd be stupid not to allow you to try it."

Tony nodded his agreement, his fingers still laced through Pepper's.

"Yes."

"It will take me a few minutes to finish setting the parameters," the princess told them. "While I am, you could take a moment to be with him before he goes into the chamber."

That was a good point. Pepper nodded, and she and Tony moved toward the bed, leaving Natasha with Stephen and Shuri. Pepper went to the left and Tony to the right, and both brought a hand to Peter's face when they looked down at him. Neither said anything to their son, because it would have felt like it was goodbye – and they weren't ready for that. Instead, the simply touched him, their fingers meeting and touching each other's in Peter's hair when they reached to push his bangs back from his forehead.

After a minute of silence, Shuri walked over to join them.

"It is ready."

Tony nodded, leaning over and pressing a tender kiss against Peter's forehead, and then watching while Pepper did the same.

"Thank you, Shuri."

"You are welcome. I left the option available if you want to interface your AI with the chamber to keep track of all activities."

"We can still sit with him, though, right?" Pepper asked.

"Of course."

Strange stepped up beside Shuri.

"You can't be in here while we're transferring him, though."

Neither argued, knowing that he had his own reasons for that, and they probably didn't have anything to do with Peter's health, and everything to do with watching their son be put into a jar like a pickled lab specimen.

Tony reached over and took Nutmeg from Natasha, who had been watching in silence.

"Go spend some time with him," he told the assassin. "He's not going to be able to sneak into your bed for a while."

She smiled, looking a little teary-eyed, and moved to the side of the bed, which Pepper vacated for her.

"You three should go get something to eat," Stephen suggested. "And then some rest. We'll call you when you can come back."

"It won't be too long, though, will it?" Pepper asked.

"No. But he needs you in good health, and so does _Tony_. So take care of yourself and do what I say," he told her, kindly.

A far cry from the egotistical, uncaring ass that he'd once been, he knew. Even geniuses can have personal growth. Look at Tony.

Stark took her hand, again, with the hand that didn't have Nutmeg.

"Thank you both."

"Wait until you get her bill," Strange said. "You think it's expensive to have an onsite brain surgeon? Try itemizing the value of a princess' time."

Shuri managed a smile at that, as did Tony and Pepper. They looked over just in time to see Natasha press her cheek against Peter's, murmuring something to him that they couldn't hear.

"You'll call?"

"As soon as we can," Shuri promised.

Romanoff walked over and joined them. She looked pale, but resolute.

"We'll be in the lounge," Tony told them.

It was quiet without being too quiet, and would give him a chance to talk to the others and see what he'd missed.


	68. Chapter 68

The lounge wasn't quite as quiet as he had thought it would be.

The place wasn't packed, but there were several groups sitting at tables talking silently, and everyone in the room looked over when Tony and Pepper appeared at the entrance with Natasha. Nick was at a table with Steve, Clint and Gradymatson near the corner, but he spoke up.

"How is he, Tony?" he asked, knowing that everyone there was wondering the same thing.

Stark understood that, as well, and decided that it didn't make sense to have to answer the question half a dozen times, separately – or to make _Pepper_ have to answer it, at all.

"He's stable. They're going to try an immersion treatment on him to heal his injuries."

There were murmured comments to that; some concerned, some interested, and others inquisitive, but none were actually directed at him, so he didn't reply. Instead, he walked across the room toward their usual corner table, Pepper's hand still in his and Nutmeg in the other. He _did_ stop, however, when he reached the table where all the guardians – except Gamora – were sitting with Sirah. The alien girl Peter had brought home with him was nursing a cup of what looked to be tea, and was still dressed in the bulky clothing Wong had given her.

"You guys okay?" he asked Peter.

Quill nodded.

"Yeah. Just waiting for Gamora to come back."

"Is she alright?"

It wasn't every day that the being that you'd called father was snuffed out – along with an army of people that Tony understood she had pretty much grown up with.

"She's sending a few messages," Rocket answered. "Just to double check the extent of damages to Thanos' army."

"They're gone," Natasha said.

"The ones _here_ are," Quill said. "Danvers said the light shot past her and headed out into space."

"I think she's hoping that it went to take out any stragglers who might not have been included in the purge."

"I am groot?"

"Good point."

"What did he say?" Pepper asked, curiously.

"Asked how the light would know someone with Thanos from someone who is just a bystander," Rocket replied.

Tony frowned.

"_Seriously_? How are you getting all that from _I am groot_?"

Quill smirked.

"_I_ have a translator implanted. I don't know how the rest of them do it."

"It's the dialect," Rocket said, shrugging – which looked odd to see a raccoon do. "Anyone can learn it. It just takes time and exposure to it."

Tony just shook his head. He wasn't worried about anyone left over from Thanos' army. From what he was hearing they'd taken on a million or more of the bastards – and who knew how many had still been on the spaceships that Danvers and the light had taken out? – if there were enough left to even form a baseball team, Stark would have been surprised.

"You guys are all okay?"

"Yes."

"Sirah?"

The alien girl hesitated, looking up at her name, but uncertain what he was asking.

"He wants to know if you need anything," Mantis said, kindly.

"No. Nothing."

Stark nodded and walked with Pepper over to their usual table, which was right up against one that had Nick and the others – including T'Challa, Tony saw. All five men smiled, standing when Pepper and Natasha joined them.

"Shuri told you what she intends?" the King of Wakanda asked as he took Pepper's hand, smiling warmly and bringing it up to brush a kiss against it.

"She _did_. Then she kicked us out of the room so she and Stephen could implement it."

"Will it work?" Steve asked.

It was obvious that he'd heard what was planned.

"Stephen thinks it's the only way to save Peter's hand."

"I should have held those stones," Steve said, shaking his head. "I might have been able to handle them better than Peter."

"I was thinking the same thing," Tony told his friend. "And I was _wrong_ – and so are you." A server brought him and the others coffee, and he suddenly felt a million years old. He'd been doing a lot of thinking while he'd held Pepper, earlier – and knew that he was going to continue to rehash the events of the last even for many more hours to come. "Peter's the only one that could make the stones do what he wanted them to do and he's made of stronger stuff than we are. Not to mention _he_ had the polymorph, so he had a way to hold them and focus all that energy."

"You think he planned on the light thing?" Natasha asked.

"I think we'll want to ask him – when he's feeling much better than he is, now." Tony turned to Steve. "Carol and Wanda?"

"Are fine. They're tracking the light."

"It's still running across the globe?"

"No. It finished what it was apparently doing and dissipated on the surface about forty-five minutes ago."

"Quill mentioned the light didn't seem to stop with this planet?"

"Danvers reported that it shot by her going fast and gaining speed. She didn't have any idea which direction it was going, only that it seemed to be expanding as it went."

"What does it mean?" Pepper asked, curiously.

"Hopefully it's just the excess burning off somewhere safe," Tony said, with a shrug. "We'll have to worry about that, later. Did it make it through the Wakandan shield?" he asked T'Challa.

"Oh, yes. And _everyone_ was awake to see it." The king of Wakanda smiled, slightly. "From what I have heard through initial reports, it is the same there as it appears to be everywhere else. Injured and sick have been healed all around my country. There is much confusion, despite the relief that is being felt by family members to those affected."

"We're going to see a lot of that in the coming hours – and days, Tony," Steve said. "We're not going to be able to cover this up, really."

"Yeah."

"What do we tell the other world governments when they come asking about it?" Grady asked, curiously, taking a sip of his coffee.

"That we have no comment, at this time," Tony replied, looking at the others to see if they agreed. Which they did. "You're going to need to keep your guardsmen quiet, too."

"Yeah. Only a few actually saw the light here, and what it did. Luckily, they were out finishing the evacuations when it went through them, and most aren't sure which direction it came from. Some will probably put a religious spin on it."

Tony shrugged.

"As long as no one comes here looking for Peter."

That wasn't acceptable. Ever.

"We dropped the shield," Steve said. "But I think we'll keep security tight, here, for a while."

"Good idea."

"We'll coordinate with the SHIELD folks and Steve, here, to see how best to implement it."

"Whatever Steve thinks best."

Tony and Pepper were going to have other things on their minds, just then, and Stark trusted Steve to make sure someone with a camera wasn't going to show up and snap a picture of him when they least expected – or desired – it.

OOOOOOOO

"Have I mentioned just how remarkable a young woman you are?"

Shuri blushed a brilliant shade of red, and was grateful that her complexion didn't allow it to show as much as it would have on someone lighter-skinned. She smiled at Strange, who was watching the readings on the chamber as it was prepared.

"I have had many advantages in my life, Doctor, and the benefit of growing up surrounded by technology."

"But you didn't settle for what you already had," Stephen pointed out. "You're like Tony; always looking to make the next amazing thing, or improvements on things that are already incredible."

If she could have turned redder, she would have. Being compared to Tony Stark was a fangirl's dream. Of course.

"I'm glad I did, in this instance," she told him, gesturing to the chamber. "We used something similar for chemical burns back home, but I thought that it could be used for many other types of injuries, if it could be modified properly."

"I know they've been doing research on similar ideas for several years, now, but nothing fully immersible like this. It'll make the difference, I believe."

The princess nodded.

"I do, as well." She adjusted a parameter in the controls of the chamber. "It is ready."

Strange nodded, and it was proof just how much he trusted her that he didn't double-check her work. He walked over to the bed Peter was in and looked down at the boy as a couple of medics came forward. They had already been briefed by Shuri exactly how Peter needed to be prepped to be put into the chamber. With a thought, Peter was dressed in a pair of plain swim trunks, which would save his modesty and wouldn't do anything to impede the nanites or the healing process.

His hand brushed Peter's forehead, tenderly, and for a moment he forgot about the others in the room with them.

"It's going to be fine, kid," he murmured. "A quick swim and we'll have you back in your own bed in no time. Just hang in there…"

Peter didn't answer, but he'd known that he wouldn't. The doctor stepped back and nodded to the medics, letting them do what needed to be done.


	69. Chapter 69

_A/N: Well, back to work, now, so the updates will not be two a day until my next weekend._

OOOOOOO

By the time Stephen walked into the lounge the room was mostly empty. It had been a long day, of course, followed by a harrowing night, and now the sun was coming up and people were heading to their beds to get some much needed rest before facing the fallout of what had happened.

Tony and Pepper had meals in front of them – badgered into eating by Nick and Steve – but they were both immediately aware when Strange entered the room and both watched as he walked over to the table. He sat down by Natasha, absently resting his hand on the back of her chair.

"He's in the chamber," the doctor reported before any of them could ask. "He acclimated exactly as we expected him to."

"He's alright?"

Strange nodded.

"He's safer in the chamber than he'd be in the bed, really. There's no chance of infection, now, and no indication that he had any going in."

"Can we go see him?" Pepper asked.

"Yes. Of course. Remember; he's safe in the liquid, and he can't feel anything. Don't be unnerved by the way it looks."

Meaning it was scary. Tony and Pepper both nodded and excused themselves, while Nick raised an eyebrow.

"Is he going to make it?"

Strange nodded.

"He survived the initial blast of energy. The only real concern, now, is damage control. We're trying to make sure we heal him quickly enough to repair everything before we have to bring him out of the coma – and now the tank, of course."

"Shuri is with him, now?" T'Challa asked.

"Yes, but I suggested that when Tony and Pepper get there, she gets some rest." He looked at Fury and Steve. "I mentioned that her former guest room would most likely be opened up for her."

"Already done," Steve said.

They had several visitors, of course, but the compound was big enough to manage all of them.

"_Your_ room is ready, too," Natasha told the doctor, pointedly.

He nodded.

"And I'm going to go find my bed, soon," he assured her. He didn't move to get up, though, and instead pulled the Cloak of Levitation from his shoulders and brought it to the table in front of him. The fabric was restless, twisting around in his grasp as he tried to inspect it, assessing it for any lingering damage that he'd need to repair. "Hold _still_…"

Romanoff smiled, amused by the sight of Stephen trying to corral the wriggling relic. _It_ seemed to think it was fine and didn't need inspecting. She already knew it didn't like to be cleaned, and really only enjoyed being snuggled by Peter – although it was usually willing to dole out the occasional caress to others.

"It's alright?"

He smiled, finally giving up on his impromptu check up, releasing the cloak, which flitted over to Natasha's shoulder, instead, wrapping around her and warming her, immediately.

"It's fine. Some charred spots, but they'll repair on their own."

"That thing is incredible," T'Challa said, shaking his head. It wasn't the first time that he'd seen it, of course, and they'd explained that it was alien, which had rationalized to the non-magic believing Wakandans how it seemed to be sentient.

"That it is," Stephen agreed.

OOOOOO

The room was empty, save for Shuri, who was sitting in a comfortable chair next to a privacy screen that had been set up around the immersion chamber. She stood when Pepper and Tony walked, and they both saw that she looked shaky and a little upset. Not surprising, really, Tony decided when he looked behind the privacy screen, as well.

The sight of Peter in the small immersion chamber was disconcerting to say the least. Their son was completely supported by the fluid he was in, floating eerily in the chamber. His eyes were closed and he didn't seem to be distressed, but before they'd put him into the liquid, they'd removed all bandages to allow the nanites to do their work unimpeded, and the terrible wounds that he'd suffered were on full display. Pepper's hand tightened in his, and he felt his jaw clench at the sight.

Bad enough for them to see it, but they weren't _sixteen_, were they?

"He's doing well," she told them both, trying to reassure them – probably she hadn't missed their reaction to what they were seeing. "His vitals are well within normal for him."

Pepper smiled, sadly, and let Tony's hand go so that she could hug Shuri, who allowed herself to be gathered into Peter's mother's arms and comfort her.

"He's lucky to have you," Pepper told the princess, sincerely. "_We're_ lucky to have you, too."

Shuri sniffed, but she didn't say anything. She couldn't. Not around the lump in her throat.

While Pepper comforted, Tony went to stand in front of the chamber, watching Peter, and his eyes went to the boy's hand, so badly damaged by the stones he'd wielded. It was mangled, yes, but Tony knew that Peter's healing ability would be the deciding factor. If he had tried to use the stones and had taken the injury Peter had, he knew he wouldn't have had a chance to recover. Maybe even Steve wouldn't. But with Stephen and Shuri watching over him – and with the tech that they had to bring to bear to take care of him – the billionaire didn't feel quite as hopeless as he might have.

After a long moment of watching him, Tony turned to Shuri. His eyes met Pepper's and he gave her a smile that was filled with love for her, even as he rested his hand lightly on Shuri's back.

"He looks comfortable," Tony told the girl. "It's a good idea. _Really_."

Shuri pulled her face from Pepper's shoulder, her eyes red-rimmed and moist.

"It was the best idea I could come up with. Burns are very complicated, and –"

"You did great, Shuri," Tony told her, interrupting, gently. "Why don't you let us take over here, for a while, though? You need a break, and we need a chance to be with him."

He'd phrased it that way on purpose, and in a way that she wouldn't think that she was being dismissed, because they really _were_ grateful to her for her assistance and wanted her to know that. They were definitely going to have to think of something to do for her when it was all said and done and Peter was on his feet, again.

The princess nodded, wiping her eyes.

"A doctor that I do not know was in here, earlier," she said. "He said his son knew Peter from school and he wanted to make sure that he was going to be alright. He did not stay long, but you may want to put a guard on the door…"

Pepper frowned at that, but Tony agreed, completely.

"Your rooms are open," he told her. "Go get some sleep and something to eat, alright? I don't want to have to tell your mother that we are responsible for you going hungry. Understand?"

She smiled, and glanced over toward Peter for just a moment, and then nodded.

"I will return in a while, but you may call me, if he needs anything."

She left, and Tony took Pepper's hand, guiding her to the chair Shuri had vacated, and then went to find one for himself.

"Friday? Pull up all media for Colonel Thompson. Audio, visual and any electronic correspondence. Anything with Peter's image, name or anything that even seems to be regarding him, his injuries or what happened here gets deleted."

"Will do."

"Was that _really_ necessary?" Pepper asked, giving him one of her patented looks. "Who would want to take a picture of him looking like that?"

"I'm just covering all our bases, Pep," he said. "We owe him, from what Stephen says, but I'm not going to let anyone see Peter like this unless they're one of us. And this way we don't need to worry about any leaks to the media."

That she agreed with, he could tell. He carried a chair over to position it beside hers, close enough to the chamber that he could reach out and touch the glass if he wanted to – which he probably would, he knew.

"Do we set up a guard?" she asked leaning against him once he'd settled next to her.

"Nah," he put his arm around her. "There's a magnetic lock on the door. I'll have Friday keep anyone out who isn't cleared, use media protection protocols and we'll make sure someone is always with him – just in case someone nosy gets by Friday."

"No one gets by Friday."

Tony pressed a kiss against her cheek, settling in to spend time with her and their son.

"That's the whole idea."


	70. Chapter 70

_The scene was the park._

_A favorite place of his, because it held many of his best memories from his childhood. He'd loved the place. The area that was frequented by the most varied of people. Even when he was a little kid, he loved to watch the different people, and wonder what they were thinking, and what they were doing. There wasn't anyone in the park, just then, but if he concentrated, he could see the place where the older kids would play sports, and the college-aged people would flirt with the opposite sex, and even better; the place where he'd go to watch the really old people play chess – and even play with him a time or two, once Ned's mom taught him the game and he'd found that he liked it._

_The air held a slightly red tinge to it, as if he were wearing glasses that were colored with red tinting to them. The sky – which _should _have been blue – was blueish red and the grass a greenish red, just then. He looked around the park, and then something told him to turn his head, and when he did, he saw her sitting on the bench that they used to sit on. They'd be eating hotdogs and watching the people around them. Talking about life in general, and the two of them in particular._

_Peter walked over, feeling an ache in his chest that made his breath come in short, silent, gasps, and he stopped in front of her._

_"May…"_

_She smiled up at him._

_"Hi, sweetheart."_

_It was her. He knew it was. Something deep inside him told him that he wasn't dreaming her, or hallucinating. She was really sitting on the bench in his favorite place, and she was waiting for him. Peter fell to his knees, his legs unable to support him, just then, and he wrapped his arms around her legs, resting his head in her lap as he had so many times when he was little._

_And sometimes even when he had been older._

_"May…" he felt a sob bubble up and out of him, and felt her arms come around him, holding him, and suddenly Peter was crying, weeping like a child. Happy tears. Sad tears. Just overwhelming emotions bubbling over. He didn't know, and he didn't care, just then. His grip on her legs tightened. "May…"_

_"Shhhh… it's okay, Peter." She soothed him with a touch that was so familiar that it made him sob harder. A touch that he'd never thought that he was going to feel, again. That he'd lost forever. "Hey…"_

_She didn't hurry him, though. Like she always had been, May was patient with her nephew and simply held him until he was able to raise his head and look at her, his cheeks smeared with tears and his eyes wide as he stared at her._

_"May. What… how are you here…? Where are… is this real? Are you real?"_

_"Yes. It's real and so am I," she assured him, smiling softly, and brushing his hair back from his forehead, her eyes alive with love. "Look how much you've grown…"_

_"What's going on?"_

_Peter was smart enough to know that she was dead. Suspicious enough to wonder why anyone would want him to believe that he could have her back. He spent enough time with Natasha to know that things weren't always the way they appeared. Enough time mourning those loved to know that the dead didn't come back to life just because he missed them._

_Besides, the last thing he remembered was standing on the roof of the compound, and that was a long way from the park._

_May's smile was amused, now, as if she could hear his thoughts, and his suspicions._

_"You're right. But you're also _wrong_."_

_"What does _that _mean?"_

_"It means that, yes, I'm dead. No one is trying to tell you otherwise. But you're wrong when you think that we can't be together."_

_"What? Wait." He looked around, again. "Am _I _dead? Is this heaven?"_

_Peter didn't really _believe _in heaven. He _wanted _to, because he wanted his parents and May to be someplace amazing and he wanted to know that he'd see them, again, someday, but he always assumed that the universe didn't love him _that _much, either._

_May smiled, sadly, as if she was able to follow his thoughts, and then she proved that she had when she spoke, next._

_"The universe _does _love you, sweetheart. Even _more_; right now it owes you a great deal for what you did – and what you've been through – and all you need to do is decide what you want. And what you want to do."_

OOOOOOO

It was close to mid-morning when Natasha walked into the operating room that everyone was already calling Peter's room. The compound was quiet; it had been a long day the day before and an even longer night, and everyone was tired. Much too tired to do more than what they'd already done. They'd issued a simple statement for the media that didn't tell them anything, really, with a promise of a more comprehensive report of the state of things, later, and then most of them had gone to bed for a few hours.

Natasha was an exception (as was _Steve_). He was too busy being responsible to sleep; taking care of the many tasks that come with something so mindboggling happening – and the sad job of beginning to take care of the dead under his command. _She_ had been unconscious, and even though it wasn't real sleep, she wasn't tired. Besides, she was worried about Peter and wanted to check on him, rather than accept second-hand reports.

She paused at the door, opening it quietly, walking through and then closing it behind her. There was a privacy screen blocking part of the room, but she could see that Pepper was asleep in the bed that Peter had been in before they'd moved him to the chamber. She was warmly covered, so Romanoff assumed that Tony had sent her to bed and she hadn't wanted to go any further than the closest place she could get some real rest.

Natasha was there to send them both to bed.

Silently, she moved to the other side of the screen, and her lips pursed, tightly, when she saw the chamber, and the boy that she loved so much floating in it. Forcing herself to turn from him, she saw that Tony was asleep, too. He was sitting in a chair that was pushed right up against the side of the tank – Natasha hated calling it that, but it looked like a fish tank, more than anything else, and that was the word that came to mind.

Stark had fallen asleep leaning against the smooth surface of whatever the thing was made out of, with his cheek close to where Peter's was on the other side. His hand was also propped up by the arm of the chair until it, too, was pressed against the tank. It was a poignant sight and made Natasha's eyes burn with unshed tears as she walked over and knelt down beside the billionaire's quiet form.

"Tony…"

Her voice was soft, but he opened his eyes, immediately, looking at Peter, first, as if expecting the worst, and then over at her. Natasha put her hand on his arm, reassuringly.

"Hey… it's okay."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm going to take over for a while so you and Pepper can get some real rest."

He glanced at Pepper, who had opened her eyes when Tony had spoken, obviously also on edge, even when asleep.

"We're good."

"I know," she knew he had to argue with her, first, but she had no intention of letting him do this alone, and he had to know it, too. "Go to bed, though. Get some rest, get cleaned up and take care of Pepper and yourself, too, that way you're good to go later."

She knew he was going to argue, but Pepper didn't give him a chance to do more than open his mouth.

"That's a good idea," she said, sliding gracefully out of the bed (which was a far cry from how Peter would have rolled himself out – probably rolling over whoever was next to him, if someone was) and moved to stand next to where Natasha was still crouched. "We'll be back in a few hours."

"A _couple_ of hours," Tony corrected, getting to his feet without complaint since he knew both women were united on this and that meant that he wasn't going to win.

It didn't matter, though. They were right; he needed to change, and shower, and he wanted to find out what the rest of the world was saying about what happened, so he could get an idea of what he needed to do to protect his avengers from being overrun by the media (and almost worse, politicians) and, of course, to protect _Peter_.

He didn't notice Pepper mouthing _a few_ to Romanoff when she took his hand and squeezed it lightly, then kept it to use to lead him from the room.

Natasha watched them go, and then stood, looking in the tank and watching Peter. He was breathing; his chest rising and falling, steadily, and if she concentrated, she could see his pulse beating against the skin of his throat. His body was covered in various burns, but the fluid kept her from seeing any but the most serious of them, and the right hand was just as horribly blackened as she'd been led to believe that it was.

The assassin put her hand on the tank's surface; she idly decided that it _felt_ like a fish tank, too, and cleared the lump out of her throat before speaking.

"Hey, baby…" she murmured. "What are you doing, sleeping?" he didn't reply, of course, but Natasha hadn't expected him to. It didn't stop her from talking to him, though. "Nick has Nutmeg, so he's alright. Just so you know. For now, anyway. You know how Nick is…"

She sat down in the chair she'd shooed Tony out of, and leaned her cheek against the glass, too.

"I went by your quarters, and your door is broken," she said, still speaking to him, but now pulling out a tablet. "I'd say it was Jack, if nothing else, but it's broken the wrong direction – in ward – and that little guy of Steve's couldn't do that much damage. So we're going to look at the video, and see if we can figure out what happened. You know how much I hate a mystery."

She continued on in the same vein, chatting with him as if he were simply sitting next to her, reading a book, or playing a game. She knew he wouldn't mind, and it made her feel better. She brought up the video footage from the corridor outside of Peter's room (since she knew as well as anyone that there wouldn't be any from inside the boy's quarters) and started it from roughly when the battle began.

It would take a while, but she had plenty of time to spend with him.


	71. Chapter 71

"This is so _stupid_…

MJ looked at Ned, who wasn't even pretending to be studying – even though they were in study hour. It was actually the only 'class' that the two shared, since she wasn't even close to being interested in the same tech and sciences that he was. Her academic bent leaned more toward social sciences and history, which Ned couldn't stand.

"What is?" she asked, facetiously. "Being forced to go to school instead of being allowed to stay home and watch the world react to the amazing events that unfolded overnight?"

"_Exactly_. If I wasn't stuck here, I could be at the compound, right in the middle of things, and-"

"You wouldn't be _allowed_ to go there, Leeds." They both turned, annoyed at the interruption, and the guy doing the interrupting. Flash sneered. "My dad's at your precious compound and he says the place is crawling with military big-wigs. They're not going to let a nobody like you be there, right now."

"What do _you_ know about it?" MJ asked, frowning at him. "He probably signed a nondisclosure when he arrived, so if he told you anything, chances are he'd be court-martialed."

"_He_ doesn't know anything, MJ," Ned told her. "He just wants to look like a big shot. Tony won't let anything leak unless he _wants_ it to. He probably set Friday up to filter out anything electronic that has anything to do with last night until he's ready to allow it to be released."

"Even _Tony Stark_ can't censor the military," Flash disagreed. "He thinks he can do anything that he wants, but-"

"He thinks it because it's _true_. If it happened at the compound, it's Avengers business and not yours."

"That light that came through the city isn't Avengers business. It-"

"You didn't _see_ it," Ned interrupted. "What do you know about it?"

"I know that my neighbor had a cold, but my mother said it's gone. Just like that."

"Go away, Flash," MJ told him. "We're studying. Maybe you'd have better grades if _you_ studied, too."

"My grades are fine."

He left, though, still in a snit, and MJ looked at Ned, curiously.

"_You're_ in a lousy mood," she observed. Normally he didn't bother to argue with Flash, and was a pretty cheerful guy. "What do you know that I don't?"

"Nothing," he said, evasively. "I was up late, though."

"Have you talked to Peter?" she asked, allowing her concern to show through, now that Flash was gone.

"I saw him last night," Ned told her. "It was pretty late."

"You _saw_ him?"

"Yes."

"Did he look alright?"

"Yeah."

"Was he out doing his… thing?"

She didn't want to mention Spiderman, even though they were alone, just then.

"He was _dressed_ for it," Ned replied, truthfully. "But I'm not sure. I tried calling him – after I saw the light – but he didn't answer and Tony said that he wasn't available."

"Did he sound worried?"

"Tony?"

"Yeah."

Ned shrugged.

"He sounds serious, most of the time."

"_You_ saw the light?" she asked, clearly wishing that she had been awake.

"Yeah. It was outside the window, but it came in, I think, and went through us before going back out."

"You and your family?"

"Yeah." He hadn't meant to say _us_, but she gave him the out on it, and he took advantage of it. Ned was well aware that the last thing he could tell her was the last time he saw _Peter_ he had a half-naked alien girl with him that he dumped off at the safe house for Ned to watch over. "It was pretty bright. Made me feel really good – although I didn't have any injury to heal."

She scowled.

"I wish _I'd_ seen it."

"Sorry."

MJ shrugged, falling back on her typical apathy reaction to the world around her.

"Seen one healing light, you've seen them all, right?"

Ned snorted, softly.

"Yeah."

"Are you going to call Peter?"

"After school."

"Tell me what he tells you, alright."

"Yeah. _Of course_."

But probably not. At least, not without permission from Tony.

OOOOOOOO

Natasha was still alone with Peter when Nick walked into the room. He was still carrying Nutmeg, who was asleep, tucked snugly in Nick's right hand and cradled comfortably against his side. She watched as the SHIELD director walked over to stand in front of the tank, his eye intent on the boy.

"Have we heard anything on his progress?"

She shrugged.

"It's all on the display there," she told him, gesturing to the information that was being processed and displayed at a rate that made it next to impossible to keep up with the data – unless you were Tony Stark, or maybe Shuri. "He hasn't moved, though, and no alarms have gone off."

"Well, that's something, I suppose. You sent Tony and Pepper to bed?"

"I _did_. They'll probably be back in an hour or so." She was somewhat surprised that Tony hadn't snuck back, by then, so Pepper had probably taken him in hand to make him actually get some sleep. "Anything I need to know about?"

"The press is going nuts, demanding an explanation. Thor and his Asgards are gone. T'Challa's Wakandans are gone – except for him, Okoye and Shuri, of course. We have a video of Peter's stand against Thanos. It's amazing, and awful at the same time – and we are almost certainly going to want to edit his last words to the guy. Anything I need to know about, here?"

She shook her head, and then shrugged.

"Want to solve a mystery for me?"

"Of course. What do you have?"

The assassin held up the display in her hand.

"I went by Peter's quarters on the way to mine, earlier. The door was torn apart and shattered. Inward."

"Yeah? Something wanted in?"

"Apparently. _That_ isn't the mystery, though."

She turned on the display, and Fury watched as the video outside the boy's room came up, showing the corridor as empty. Then, one of the savage dog-like creatures was ambling down the empty space, and the sensitive audio picked up the sound of barking from the other side of the door – making the creature come to a stop and growl, its nose coming to sniff the door. Another challenge from the other side of the door, and the thing was suddenly slamming into the door with a snarl. The door splintered open under the assault, and the creature vanished into the room.

There was a snarl, and a growl, and then a sudden yelp of surprise. Fury would have felt a stab of concern, if not for the fact that he had just left Steve Rogers, and Jack had been with him.

"What-"

"Watch," Romanoff said.

As Fury watched, there was a lot of silence and absolutely no indication of any movement from the inside of the room. After what seemed like forever, but was probably only a few minutes, there was a motion and Jack walked out of the room and into the corridor, looking around and then heading off in what looked to be a random direction. A moment later, Nutmeg followed, and looking at the timestamp, Nick realized that the timing was about right for it to have just before the kitten made his way int the control room. Both animals looked absolutely fine, and Fury frowned, looking down at the kitten sleeping in his arm.

"What the hell? Does it come out?"

Natasha shook her head.

"Not at all. I'd go look to see if there's a body, but the video shows the light coming down the corridor later on, so there probably isn't one."

"You think Jack killed the thing?"

"I can't even imagine how. He's not big enough to pose a threat to something like that thing. But it must have died – because all I can think of aside from that is that the damned thing hopped up on Peter's bed and fell asleep."

Nick snorted.

"Not likely."

"No."

"Well, I see the mystery, but there isn't anything I can think of that might solve it. Did you send anyone to see what the inside of the room looks like? Was there a fight, and maybe we didn't hear it on the footage?"

"I'll check it, myself. I assume you're here to take over for me?"

"I am. Go get some sleep, Agent Romanoff. Let me know if you find anything interesting in Peter's quarters, though, will you?"

"Of course."

Fury watched her leave and then settled in the same chair that she had been in. The action woke Nutmeg, who yawned, mightily, and then settled, closer to Fury's chest, more than willing to be cuddled by the most suspicious man on the planet – as long as he was willing to give him the caresses that he wanted, just then.

"You didn't _eat_ that thing, did you?" Fury asked the tiny kitten, running a finger under the soft chin, making Nutmeg raise his head, practically cross-eyed with pleasure at the gentle rubbing. "I mean, you'd tell me, right?"

Fury looked at the boy he was sitting with, making sure the monitors were still showing green. Then he settled in to reassure the kitten, since he couldn't do much more than keep Peter company at the moment.

"Yeah… _you'd_ tell me…"


	72. Chapter 72

Loki was irritable when Thor and the others returned to Asgard. A simple spell alerted him of their return, and he went to the great hall, knowing that that was where his brother would end up. He was surprised to find that there were several dead, wrapped in ceremonial coverings, with those who returned, but he hid his surprise behind an annoyed façade.

"What's going on? Where did you go?" he asked. "Are you _aware_ that the Stark boy barged into here and-"

"I am not in the mood, brother," Thor interrupted, looking equally annoyed at the idea of dealing with anything Loki had to say. "We have dead to prepare."

"Where _were_ you?"

"Earth. Thanos attacked the Avengers compound, and –"

"Destroyed them all?" he finished, feeling smug. True, some of the Asgardians had died, but if Thanos had destroyed the earth, then he didn't need to worry about keeping the hatred for the place out of his thoughts – although he was careful to keep that in check, for now. "If they would have submitted to my rule, _I_ would have spared them the devi-"

"Thanos is no more," Thor told him. "His army was defeated."

"_What_?"

The god of thunder smirked, well aware of the response that his next words would bring, and anticipating it.

"By _Peter_."

Loki wasn't amused.

"A _boy_? Do you really think I would believe that a mere stripling could defeat the mightiest army in the universe?"

"What you believe is of no concern to me," Thor told him, shortly. "But we were _there_. A simple motion of his hand, and a bright light – like the forge on Nidavellir – wiped out Thanos and everyone who followed the mad titan."

"And _healed_ me," one of the others added, pointing at a bloody gash in her armor, but no injury under it.

"And me," Thor agreed. Several of them wore battered armor and clothing that told of a vicious battle, but Loki could see none were limping or bleeding. "The boy wielded the stones of power, and they did as he commanded."

"Tell him about the rest of it," another said. "About the light."

Loki tried to appear uninterested, but it wasn't convincing.

"What _about_ the light?"

"It circled their planet and then shot out into space," Thor told his brother. "Whether it was simply excess energy being expelled or if the light is seeking others who would wrong the earth is still undetermined."

"We'll have to wait for it to make it to a populated planet," the woman said. "One that has people who are aligned with Thanos – or have issue with the terrains." _She_ smirked, too, because it was no secret that Loki had been in alliance with Thanos – and that he definitely felt animosity to the people on the planet in question. "One wonders what will happen if that light eventually reaches _Asgard_."

Loki felt a shiver of concern that he couldn't suppress.

"No one has that kind of reach."

"The infinity stones are incredibly powerful, brother. No worries, though, even moving at the speed of light, it would be countless years before the light reaches us. You're probably safe."

"Unless it gains speed as it travels," another said, speculatively, thoroughly enjoying the threat to someone who was _of_ Asgard, but was such a pain in all of their rears. "Or is designed to simply seek out troublesome entities."

There was a soft scattering of murmurs of agreement, but Thor raised his hand to stop the conversation.

"We have dead to honor," he reminded them. "Let's get to it."

They dispersed, leaving Loki standing in the hall alone, once more, staring at their retreating backs.

OOOOOOO

Nick looked up from the tablet that he was studying when a movement caught his peripheral vision. He saw Tony walking in looking a little less tired than he had but no less concerned. The billionaire walked over to stand near the chair, looking at Peter, and then the display on the side of the chamber. Fury set the tablet aside, and carefully stood up, cradling Nutmeg to avoid dislodging him and making him dig his sharp little claws into his skin.

"How is he doing, Tony?" Nick asked, knowing that Tony could translate what he was reading.

Stark sighed, and Fury could hear the exhaustion and worry before he even spoke.

"He's stable." Tony slid his hand along the panel, again, changing the display, and then looked at Peter, pressing his hand against the side of the chamber, now. "The nanotech is active, but it's too early to tell how much it'll repair before we have to pull him out of the chamber for his own health."

"How many days can he stay in the coma?"

"In the coma? _Indefinitely_. The fluid, however, is as dangerous as it is helpful, since there's always the possibility that it'll weaken his lungs. We won't be able to keep him in it more than a few days."

"It'll give him a chance, though."

"Yeah…" Tony sighed, again, and the two men were silent for a long moment. When he spoke, again, Stark's voice was soft. "I failed him, Nick."

"Who? Peter?"

"Yes." Tony's hand went back to the surface of the chamber, his palm flat, as if trying to touch the boy. "I'm supposed to be taking care of him, and I'm doing a lousy job if things."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth, Tony," Nick told him. "And that's _saying_ something, all things considered, because I've known you long enough to hear you say some truly idiotic things."

Stark scowled, but didn't look away from Peter's still form.

"I promised May I'd take care of him."

"That's a promise that you've kept."

"Yeah? I'm doing a bang up job of it. He's constantly in danger, from kidnappers, or mobsters, or –"

"Tony," Fury interrupted before the billionaire could even get started. He put his hand on the younger man's shoulder, forcing him to look at him, instead. "That boy loves you. Have you even been watching his face when you walk into the room? His eyes light up with happiness. And don't even get me started on when he calls you _dad_, because it's the damndest thing to watch. His expression is filled with this wonder, like he can't believe how lucky he is."

"But-"

"No buts. He's had a rough time of things; true, but that started _long_ before you even knew him. Nothing that has happened to him is on you – not even the kidnappers. I hear you and Pepper telling him that the people who make the bad decisions are responsible for their own fate, not the ones that they try to hurt. You make him believe it, so you should believe it, as well."

"Yes, but-"

"Again with the buts?" The SHIELD director shrugged. "You put him first. There for him when he needs a hug – even if he doesn't know, yet, that he needs it. You let him be a kid, although he's so serious, most of the time, that I'm pretty sure you're the only one who could really bring him out of his shell the way you do." He didn't mention that it was because Tony was good at being immature, at times. "Always make sure he has everything that he wants and needs – and you're there for him when the truly freaky shit starts happening. You give him the tools that he needs to do what he wants to do, but you make sure every step of the way that he has a safety net, just in case. If that isn't fulfilling a promise to his aunt, then I don't know what is."

Tony was silent for a moment.

"I just want him to be happy."

"He _is_ happy. And he'll be the first one to tell you that."

"Yeah?"

"You doubt me?" Fury asked, his voice at its most menacing, even though he didn't do that on purpose. "We could get one of the others in here to give you a second opinion…"

"Second opinion on what?" Pepper asked, walking up to them without either man noticing.

She was dressed in slacks and a blouse, with her hair tied back. Clearly intending to spend time at home.

"Tony here seems to think that this room should be painted a different color. It's too stark in here; white walls, ceiling and floor. Before our next alien invasion, I'm thinking we paint it lilac."

She frowned and looked at her husband, fairly certain that that wasn't what the conversation had been about. He smiled, though, and nodded, taking Nutmeg from Fury, and sticking his face into the kitten's furry belly to blow a raspberry against the soft little hairs, there.

"I was arguing that it might look better in a mint, of some kind. What do you think, dear?"

Pepper shook her head, and took the kitten from him, smiling at how calmly Nutmeg handled being passed back and forth like that. Of course, he'd been loved from the time that he'd arrived at the compound, and enjoyed a lot of attention from the Avengers, so he was used to it, by then. Really, though, she could sense a change in Tony's demeanor. He didn't seem quite as forlorn as he had, even an hour before. She was glad, and more than willing to play along to keep his spirits up.

"I think you're both _nuts_."


	73. Chapter 73

_Peter frowned._

"_What I want? What do you mean?"_

"_You're not dead, Peter, and this isn't heaven. But we could be together here."_

"_In the park?"_

"_In whatever reality you want it to be," she replied. "The park. The apartment. The house you lived in with your parents before they died."_

"_They'd be there, too?"_

"_Yes. Of course."_

_He hesitated._

"_Then it wouldn't be _real_. They're dead. _You're _dead."_

"_Yes."_

"_But I'm not dead."_

"_Not right now, no."_

_She waited, giving him time to figure out what she was saying. Peter had seen enough movies that it didn't really take that long._

"_So to stay here – with you, mom and dad – I'd have to die, too."_

"_Yes."_

"_Why can't you guys come be with me?" he asked, standing up, now, but not releasing the touch of his hand on her leg. "You could come back, and we could be a family, again."_

"_There's no going back," May answered, looking at him, sadly. "Once here, a soul stays here."_

_He frowned._

"_But _Alec _didn't stay, though, did he? He said a soul for a soul and he's not in here, now."_

"_He's in your _head_, though," she pointed out. "It isn't the same thing. His body is long gone – and so is mine, and Mary and Richard's. Alec didn't return to his body, he was placed in _yours _– and even _that _isn't allowed. The exception was made so that he could help you with what you needed to do – to make it possible."_

"_To repair me," he said._

"_That's what he was _told_," she told him. "There was more to it than that, though. Much more. He was the only one – living _or _dead – who knew how to shield your mind from the power of the stones. Who could protect you in order to allow you to handle them. So the deal was made. Just _him_, though." She smiled, but there was very little humor in it. "You can't have three more people in your head. It would drive you insane – and us, as well."_

"_So I would have to stay here… and die…"_

"_Yes."_

_She was silent, then, allowing him a chance to understand what he was being offered – and what he would lose if he took that. It didn't take him long, of course._

"_I'd have to leave Tony and Pepper…"_

"_Yes. Right now, you're stable, but badly injured. If you decide to stay here, then you'll take a turn for the worse, and your body will die. Or you can get better and live, and stay with them – and join us, later."_

"_That's not _fair_," Peter said, bitterly. "Stay with you and be happy and make the others sad…" and he knew that they would be devastated to lose him. "Or go back to them and lose time with you – and mom and dad." _

_And being with them would pretty much be like meeting them again, for the first time, his memories that he had of them were so fuzzy._

"_I'm sorry, sweetheart," May said, and Peter immediately felt guilty for unloading on her. _

_He dropped back down beside her legs, and once more rested his head on her knees, arms going around her legs, possessively._

"_It's not fair," he repeated, near tears, again. He was so close to having her back with him, only to hear that – _as usual_ – it wasn't going to happen the way he wanted. "It _isn't_…"_

_He felt her hand brushing the back of his hair, could practically feel the love that she had for him emanating from her very being. _

"_Are you happy, Peter?" she finally asked, softly. "With Tony, I mean."_

_He didn't lift his head._

"_Yes."_

"_Is he treating you right?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Doesn't beat you?"_

_He smiled at that, because she knew that Tony wouldn't beat him. She had clearly asked that just to startle him out of his tears._

"_No. He let me keep Nutmeg."_

"_The Flerkin?"_

"_He's a kitten. He's cute. Tony got a pig."_

"_It sounds like he's being good to you."_

"_He's great, May. Him and Pepper, both. And the others. They _all _are. They take good care of me."_

"_Then why is this so hard for you?"_

_He sniffed, lifting his head to look at her, but not letting her go._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I'm not going anywhere, Peter," she told him. "Go be happy with the others, and then, when the time comes, I'll be here for you."_

_Peter lowered his head back into her leg, ignoring the way her knees pressed into his nose._

"_I miss you, May…"_

_Her hand went back to the back of his head, and she didn't seem to be in any hurry to move – or to let him go._

"_I miss you, too, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you."_

_Peter couldn't help himself; he started to cry, again, but this time the tears weren't quite so bitter as they had been._

_He'd go back. There really wasn't a choice to be made. _

_But not yet._

OOOOOOO

If Tony and Pepper thought that they were going to have Peter to themselves that day, they were wrong.

Nick left them after a few more moments of gentle teasing, taking Nutmeg with him. But before the two had a chance to do more than settle into the chairs – after studying the display, and the still form in the chamber – Steve and Carol walked into the room.

"How is he doing?" Danvers asked, quietly – as if afraid she was going to wake the boy.

"Holding his own," was the reply.

Steve walked right up to the chamber, pressing his palm against the side, much as the others had done.

"He looks like he's doing alright in there," he said. "Is he in any pain?"

"He shouldn't be," Tony answered, but he stood up to double check the readout, once more, for any indication that Peter might be in any discomfort. "It looks good."

"Can we do anything?" Carol asked.

"No. It's just a waiting game right now."

"Peter heals quickly, though," Steve assured her. "Stephen said that this goo that he's in is going to augment that."

"What have we missed?" Tony asked, ready to change the subject.

Not that he didn't want to talk about Peter getting better, but he almost felt superstitious talking about the healing abilities – as if talking about them would jinx them, somehow.

"Grady has been closeted with his general and the JCS," Steve said. "They'll get a heavily edited version of what happened."

"What are we telling everyone?" Pepper asked. "You're not mentioning _Peter_, right?"

"No. Of course not. We're going to mention a very generic benign alien power – wielded heroically by Thor – and let the rest of the world sit back and see what comes of the light. So far, its healed everyone it touched."

"But it doesn't stop people from hurting themselves," Carol added. "Just because you were healed, you can still get into a car accident and be hurt or killed. Or fall off a roof. We've been watching the media, and _social_ media, of course, to see what's happening. And he definitely didn't cure stupid."

Steve wasn't the only one to smile at that.

"Do you guys need a break?"

Tony shook his head, appreciating the gesture, but not ready to give up his spot, yet.

"We just got here. Thanks."

"We're going to go into the city, then, and check on a few things and a few people. If you need something, call."

"We will."

"Did you check in with your people?" Tony asked, once they'd left – with Tony and Pepper both eyeing them, speculatively, and privately wondering if they were walking just a little closer to each other than Steve walked beside Clint or Natasha.

"_You_ own the company," she chided. "They're _your_ people, too. You _know_ that, right?"

He rolled his eyes.

"I couldn't tell you the names of a third of them, Pep, _you_ know that."

"I should make you spend more time in your office," she said. "Maybe when all this is over, I'll take a vacation and leave you in charge of things there."

"And you'll come back a day later and the building will have burned down and we'll all be standing on the sidewalk looking confused."

She pursed her lips, but didn't disagree.

"I checked in with the people who report to me, and told them to check in with their people, and work the way down the tree. If there's anything I need to know, they'll call me and let me know."

"Everyone was alright?" he asked, taking her hand.

"They seem to be, yes."

Before she could say anything else, Shuri walked into the room with Stephen, and Tony and Pepper both moved out of the chairs to give them room next to the chamber's control panel. The princess was the one to actually manipulate the controls, but Strange didn't seem at all nonplussed to be allowing her to take the lead on Peter's care. He looked over at the two watching them.

"It looks promising," he told them. "The minor burns are already fading."

"And his _hand_?" Pepper asked. They weren't able to really _see_ their son's right hand, since his body was blocking it, so neither had actually had a chance to look at it. "Any progress?"

Shuri brought up a different display, which flashed through several different segments of Peter's body before stopping on the hand in question. She and Stephen both studied the readout, with Tony looking over their shoulders, as well. Pepper's hand in Tony's tightened when she saw the damage, but his own squeeze was reassuring.

"There's already improvement," Shuri told them, not looking up from the display. "I programmed the nanotech to concentrate on the right side of Peter's body, first. If we can get the hand and arm repaired enough to be able to bring him out of the fluid, the rest will heal without issue, I think.,"

"I agree," Strange added, making Pepper smile, because Shuri was looking rather pleased with herself at having someone who was a famous surgeon agreeing with her. No one ever declined validation – even princesses. "We can probably keep him in there another three days, safely."

"Two," Shuri corrected. "A third if absolutely necessary."

"We'll see," Strange said.

He knew Peter's healing ability better than she did. He'd been exposed to it much more than she had been, after all.

"Is there anything I can bring you?" Shuri asked.

"No," Pepper said, shaking her head. "We're just going to keep him company for a while."


	74. Chapter 74

Something was wrong. Even through the pain that was growing worse and worse the more aware of his surroundings he became, Peter knew immediately that something was very different – and that in this case that meant that it was _wrong_. His spider senses were screaming at him.

"_Hold still, and don't panic."_ The voice in his mind was calm, and reassuring. _"You're _fine_." _

"_What's going on?"_ He could feel that he hurt – more every minute, although it was somewhat muted, still – but he couldn't feel a bed, or anything around him. Not even a pillow. _"Where am I?"_

"_Breathe."_

He did as Alec told him, and it felt odd.

"_I don't –"_

"_Another breath."_ Peter obeyed, but opened his eyes to look around, and Alec spoke up, immediately. "_Close them, again, for now."_

"_I don't understand what's going on." _

He had a feeling that he _should_ be afraid, though, and the tightness in his chest was the clear beginning of a panic attack, and he knew it

"_Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Calm down, Peter. You're going to freak out and worry everyone."_

That made him obey more than anything else could have – and of course Alec knew it would. Peter closed his eyes and floated – it was the only way he could describe what he was feeling – and took a few deep breaths, listening to his heartbeat slow down, again.

"_Much better,"_ Alec approved_. "Now, you remember May telling you that you were hurt, right?"_

"_Yes."_

"_This time it's pretty serious, so they brought in Shuri and some serious Wakandan technology. It's an immersion chamber."_

"_What does it do?"_ he asked, curiously, always interested in technology that he hadn't heard of before.

"_It has you completely immersed in an oxygen rich fluid that is full of nanites. They're programmed to heal the more serious injuries while you're in a medically induced coma."_

Peter would have felt a stab of fear at the explanation, but Alec was so calm that it was keeping him calm, too.

"_But I'm not in a coma, now?"_

"_No. I'd guess not. Something snapped you out of it – luckily, I was aware of what was going on before you woke enough to realize it, and I took the knowledge of what's going on from Tony's mind…"_

Peter wanted to open his eyes, again.

"_Tony's here?"_

"_Not in the _fluid_,"_ Alec answered, and Peter felt a gentle amusement that made him relax against the pain and the fear. _"Hold very still and go ahead and look around – but for heaven's sake don't _panic_, okay?"_

"_Yeah."_

Peter didn't turn his head, doing as he was told, but he _did_ open his eyes.

OOOOOOO

It was a soft alarm that woke Tony from a very fitful doze.

He sat upright in the chair with a start, waking Pepper with the motion even as he turned toward the chamber, automatically assuming the worst was happening. Peter was in the same position that he'd been in the last two days, though, so Tony's gaze went to the control panel, where the alarm was originating.

"What is it?" Pepper asked, just as alert, now. "What's wrong?"

Stark went to his feet to get a better look.

"His heart rate is accelerated," he told her. "Vitals are fine, though. Blood pressure is higher, brain activity is elevated."

"What does it mean?" she asked, even as the door to the room opened and Stephen came hurrying in – obviously alerted by the alarm, as well. "Stephen?"

"He's _fine_," the surgeon said, eyes on the same panel that Tony was looking at.

"He's waking up," the billionaire said.

"He's in a _coma_, Tony. It doesn't work that way."

Then all three of them saw Peter's eyes open, even in the somewhat opaque fluid in the chamber.

"_Jesus_." Stephen was quick to react, pressing a hand against the glass surface. "Tony, get me a couple of orderlies. _Now_." He pressed a part of the panel, allowing the boy to be able to hear him. "Peter… hold _very_ still and take deep breaths. You're _fine_."

The boy's expression wasn't panicked, though. As Tony had Friday call up a couple of medics, Peter's eyes locked on his for a moment, moved to Pepper's and then Stephen's and then went back to Tony's, where they stayed, watching him; but doing as he'd been told and not moving.

"You're alright, son," Tony told him, also putting his hand on the surface of the chamber. "We're right here. Do as Stephen says. Hold still."

Two medics came charging into the room only a moment later, and Strange started calmly ordering them to prepare blankets and towels and a basin.

"You two need to leave," he said to Tony and Pepper. "We'll get him out and stable, and I'll call you when he's in a bed."

"But we should stay," Pepper protested. "We can keep him from panicking."

"You should _go_," Stephen replied, already rolling up the sleeves to the dress shirt he was wearing, despite the late hour. "It's unsettling to watch the extraction of the fluids – and Peter would be better off without the distraction. I'll allow you back as soon as possible."

"But I-"

Tony's protest was cut off by the two medics taking the top off the chamber, and Pepper's hand took the billionaire's arm.

"Come on…" she looked at Peter, and tugged Tony away. "We'll be right next door," she added to Strange - and to Peter.

"It'll be as soon as I can," he promised.

He was stepping up to the chamber as he said it, and as Pepper pulled Tony out of the door, they heard the sound of a lot of retching and fluids gushing into the basin.

OOOOOO

By the time Strange walked into the little side room, there was a crowd of people waiting for him. Steve, Clint and Natasha had been pretending to play cards with Carol while they waited, and Pepper and Tony were pacing, too worked up to pretend to do anything _but_ worry. Fury was there, holding Nutmeg to keep him out of the way, along with T'Challa and Shuri. The Wakandan princess had come earlier, only a few minutes after Pepper and Tony had been removed from the room to give Stephen and the medics room to work with Peter and she'd been summarily dismissed to the waiting room, as well, to preserve as much of Peter's modesty as they could.

Especially since he was awake and somewhat lucid.

She wasn't happy about it, but she didn't protest, and had joined her brother, talking to Fury one moment, watching the Avengers play cards the next, but like all of them, always aware of the door and waiting for it to open.

"Stephen?"

Tony, of course, was the first to reach him, with Pepper right beside him.

"He's out of the chamber."

"Is he alright?" Natasha asked.

"He's stable. We've cleared his lungs of most of the fluid and put him into bed. He's exhausted – not _surprisingly_ – but the fever that he went into the chamber with is well within manageable ranges."

"And his hand?" Steve asked.

The doctor wondered if anyone else had noticed that Rogers had taken hold of Carol's hand when they'd stood up from the table.

"It isn't as healed as I was hoping we'd get it before he came out, but the damage is well on the way to being repaired. We'll finish it ourselves, with a lot of bandages and some physical therapy once the last of the burns heal. Peter's resilient. There shouldn't be much – if _any_ – loss of use."

"Can we see him?" Pepper asked.

"Yes. But only you and Tony – for _now_," he added when the others looked like they were going to protest. "The rest of you can check on him in the morning. Right now, what he needs is a lot of rest and some quiet."

"We can wait," Fury said, before anyone else could say anything. "Tony, if you need anything, let us know. I'm going back to bed."

He handed Nutmeg to Natasha and left without protest. His agreement cut off any complaint that the others could make, but when everyone else filed out of the room, Shuri and Natasha held back.

"I would like to see my _patient_," the princess said, ignoring the way her brother rolled his eyes from where he was waiting at the doorway.

He was always concerned about her, and even though she was safe in the compound, he planned to walk her back to her rooms.

"Moms and dads, only," Strange told her, not cowed by the imperious way she made the request. "Princesses and friends, tomorrow." He allowed his expression to soften. "You probably saved his life, Shuri," he told her. "Coming here with the chamber was brilliant. But now that he's out, he's _my_ patient, and you need to let him get some rest before you two start in on driving Tony and T'Challa crazy."

She frowned, but didn't argue.

"You will call me if anything changes?"

"Yes. Get some sleep. I'm sure he'll want some younger company, later."

She left, too, then, but not before Pepper wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her tightly, reminding her just how much they appreciated what she'd done for them – and making Shuri smile, cheerfully, at the embrace.

When she was gone, Strange looked at Tony and Pepper.

"His lungs are somewhat compromised, right now, just because of the fluid that was in them. It's expected, and we're not worried about it, but I've already told him I don't want him speaking, tonight, and I'll remind you the same, so you don't try to carry on any lengthy conversations. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Go spend some time with your son, then," he ordered, shooing them out of the room. They left, immediately, and Natasha slid into his arms, silently demanding to be held. "He's _fine_, Natasha…" he assured her, ignoring Nutmeg's low growl of annoyance at being pressed between the two of them. "At least, he _will_ be."

"You didn't expect him to wake up until you brought him out of the goop, though?"

"No. And I can't _imagine_ why he didn't panic and do serious injury to himself when he woke and found himself submerged. Anyone else would have, I'm sure, and with his strength, he could have broken out of the chamber, easily."

"Maybe Alec had something to do with it…"

"That's all I can think of," Strange agreed. "You're leaving?"

"Yes. We just wanted to wait until he was awake before we left."

"But you don't know what's going on with Bruce?"

She shook her head, and brushed a kiss against his cheek before stepping back, out of his embrace and handing him Peter's kitten.

"He just said that he needed us to come get him."

Which made Stephen just as curious as he had been the first time that he'd heard Bruce had finally contacted Natasha, asking for transportation home, rather than take a commercial flight.

"I could portal you," he offered.

"If we need you, I'll take you up on that," she assured him. "Let me and Clint see what's going on, and we'll let you know."

"Fly safe."

She smiled.

"I always do. It's _Clint_ that needs to be reminded."

She gave him a confident smirk – one that he loved so much – and she was gone.

Strange looked down at the slightly ruffled kitten he was holding, but since no one else was in the room to see it, he let himself bury his face in the soft fur for a moment, smiling when Nutmeg purred at the contact.

"_You_ don't get to see him until later, either," he told the kitten.


	75. Chapter 75

Peter was awake when they walked into the room. The hospital bed that Stephen had put him in was raised on the end, so that he was almost sitting up, completely, and his eyes followed them as they walked over to the bed. Rather than go one on each side like they normally would, they both ended up on the left side of the bed, since the right side was cluttered with machinery, and all the IVs tubing and wires were on that side. Not to mention it was the injured side, and neither wanted to risk hurting him, further, with any contact, there.

Peter was dry; Tony assumed that was Stephen using magic when he could to keep the boy from being soaked and still covered with goo. Maybe another reason that he'd sent Shuri out of the room. He was wearing blue pajamas, and there was a bulky white bandage covering the entirety of his hand, all of his forearm and most of his upper arm, as well, but he smiled, weakly when they joined him, and he opened his mouth to say something.

"_Ah_." Tony held a hand up to interrupt him before he could speak. His own eyes were examining the boy's face. The burns that had been there after Peter's confrontation with Thanos were faded completely thanks to the goop, but he could tell Peter was tired, and probably hurting, to judge from the pinched expression. But he was alive, and wasn't in the fluids that had kept them from being close to him. "Stephen said you're not supposed to talk, so don't even _think_ of saying anything. Got it?"

The boy nodded, and lifted his left hand, clearly wanting someone to take it.

Pepper was closest and she did just that, sitting on the edge of the bed to allow Tony a place to stand just as close.

"You look tired," she murmured, bringing his hand up to her cheek, but watching him.

He nodded, silently, and looked at Tony. The way he looked at him made Tony certain he wanted to say something, and Stark pulled out his tablet, brought up the word processor and held it up to him.

"What's on your mind, son?"

Peter moved the right hand, automatically and there was a pained moan at the motion. He let go of Pepper's hand, reluctantly, and awkwardly typed a sentence.

_Is everyone okay?_

"Yeah, Peter," Tony said. "Everyone's fine."

He ran his hand along the screen, again.

_Natasha?_

"She's fine, too," Pepper assured him. "Are you in any pain?"

He shrugged, silently, not wanting to lie but unwilling to worry them. They both looked tired, and had that familiar concerned expression he was so used to seeing in their eyes when he was bedridden. But they were _his_. He'd made the choice, and he knew – in every part of his being – that it had been the right one.

He lifted his hand once more to the tablet.

_It isn't bad. Can you stay with me?_

"We weren't told otherwise," Tony murmured. "So, yes. But you should try to get some rest. You look tired."

Peter dropped his hand from the tablet, reaching for Pepper's once more, and he closed his eyes when he felt them both settling close to him, Pepper's hand tightening on his own and the unmistakable brush of facial hair brushing against his cheek.

"I have something that belongs to you," she said, suddenly, making him open his eyes, curiously. She reached into her back pocket, pulling out the stuffed Ironman doll and settling it on the bed beside him. "You know… in case you get lonely, or something."

The boy felt the toddler inside him squeal with happiness at the sight of the doll, and felt Alec react to that childlike happiness with his own flare of amusement. He closed his eyes, again, though, too tired to keep them open.

"I love you guys," he whispered, hoarsely, before either could chide him.

"We love you, too…" Pepper assured him. "Now, _hush_."

He did as he was told, and allowed their warm, loving presence to lull him to sleep, once more. It didn't take long; he was tired.

When he was still, Tony looked at her.

"Feel better, momma?"

She nodded.

"Relieved."

She knew that he was, too. They had him in a bed, anyway. Now _they_ could take care of him.

OOOOOOO

"Did you check on him?"

"No. You heard Stephen; we're not supposed to bother him until tomorrow."

Barton rolled his eyes.

"He didn't mean _you_, Nat. Not only are you Peter's favorite – aside from Tony and Pepper – but the guy's your boyfriend. You don't have to listen to him."

She shook her head, amused. Romanoff was well aware that if Clint had wanted to, he would have been absolutely willing to sneak in and check on Peter, himself. He didn't for the same reason that Natasha didn't; to allow Pepper and Tony the first chance to spend time with him. There would be plenty of opportunity to sit with him the next few days, after all.

Besides…

"Bruce needs us, right now," she reminded him as she slid into the copilot seat. "Did you talk to him?"

"Yeah. He's going to meet us at the airport in Columbus."

"Did he say what's wrong?"

"Nope. Same as before; '_I'll have to show you_…' and then ended the call."

She scowled and shook her head. Spies didn't like surprises. Or mysteries.

"Let's get there, then. I'm curious, now."

Clint was, too, and the jet took off at near vertical, but then swooped out of the compound airspace with the throttles already fully engaged.

OOOOOOO

The call took longer to answer than Ned expected, but Shuri eventually appeared on the screen. She looked annoyed, and Ned wondered if he woke her p or something, although he'd done the math fairly carefully.

"Are you busy?"

"_Not at the moment."_ She lost a little of the scowl that he'd seen. _"Peter is fine. Do not worry."_

"What? What's wrong with Peter?"

"_That isn't why you called?"_

"I called because I can't get hold of Peter and was wondering if Tony had sent him to Wakanda to keep him away from the alien thing going on at the compound. What happened?"

She frowned, uncertainly. The princess wasn't used to keeping secrets, and definitely not from _Ned_, who seemed to know everything that was going on with Peter. More than she did. He was Peter's best friend, after all.

"_What have you been told?"_

"Peter told me some of it," he said. "When he brought the alien girl to the safehouse. But he hasn't activated his suit in a while, and I lost my connection with Karen, somehow."

"_You mean Tony found out that you hacked Peter's AI and he pulled your link."_

Ned shook his head.

"I couldn't have hidden my link with Karen from Tony. He might have pulled it, but not because he just learned about it. What's going on? Where are you?"

"_I am at the compound…"_ she paused_. "But I do not think I should say anything on the phone. They can be monitored, after all."_

"What do you know about the light that went across the globe?"

"_No more than you, most likely. I was not present."_

"Is Peter hurt?"

"_He – yes."_ She wasn't good at lying, and wasn't good at being interrogated – even by someone as inexperienced at it as Ned. _"But he is healing."_

"Is anyone else hurt? What about your brother? And Natasha? Are Tony and Pepper o-"

"_There are no other injuries,"_ she said, interrupting. "But that is all I can say. You should call Tony in the morning, Ned. I am certain that he will give you more information."

Ned scowled, but he didn't argue with her. Instead, he shrugged.

"Yeah. I'll do that. Are you going to be at the compound a while? Will I see you?"

"_I am uncertain."_ She smiled. _"I hope so."_

"Call me if you can."

"_I will."_

The call ended and Ned sat on his bed for a moment, and then pressed a button on his phone. MJ's face came on the screen. She looked worried enough that he didn't really need to say anything, but he did.

"You heard?"

"Yeah. Are you going to call Tony, tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"And you'll tell me what you find out?"

_Friday_ would immediately catch on to a conference call. Shuri hadn't – and Ned hadn't actually had a chance to tell her that MJ was on the call, as well. She hadn't had her video conference activated.

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay. I'll see you, tomorrow."

The call ended and Ned went back to bed.


	76. Chapter 76

It was fairly early when Steve came strolling into the room Peter was recovering in. He had Carol with him, and the two smiled a greeting to them as they walked over to the bed. The two chairs that had been beside the immersion chamber were now on the left side of Peter's bed, and close enough to the bed that either adult could touch the boy at any time. They were also close to each other, for a similar reason.

"How's he doing?" Carol asked, watching as Steve reached out and brushed Peter's hair back from his forehead, careful not to wake him.

"Slept through the night," Tony reported. "We were warned to expect a lot of sleeping, for the next few days at least."

"Were you warned that _other_ people would want to sit with him and keep him company?" Steve asked, pointedly.

That made Pepper smile. _She_ expected it, and knew Tony did, as well.

"Are you reporting for duty?"

"We are," Steve confirmed. "Go get some rest, something to eat and spend some time together. Carol and I will keep an eye on things, here."

"But you'll call if he needs us."

"You know we will, Tony," he assured him.

Stark looked at Pepper, making sure with that glance that she was alright with the idea. She glanced at her son's sleeping form and then nodded, getting out of the chair, gracefully.

"He isn't allowed to speak," she told them. "We'll leave the tablet; in case he wakes up and needs to write something out."

"We'll take care of it."

Tony and Pepper left, and Steve walked around the room, once, just to make sure that he knew where everything was before sitting in the chair that Tony had vacated. Carol smiled, picking up the Ironman doll that was tucked beside Peter's uninjured side.

"Why doesn't he have a _Captain America_ doll, too?"

"Because Tony beat me to it," Steve replied, smiling as well. "Aside from a lot of pictures that the general public will never be allowed to see, it's all that's really left over from the toddler incident."

She'd heard about it, briefly, but they had plenty of time, now, and it was interesting.

"I bet he was adorable."

Steve smirked, and pulled out his phone.

"I have a lot of those photos, if you're interested?"

She put the doll back where it had been, and nodded, reaching for the phone.

Of course she was interested.

OOOOOOO

They decided to go to the lounge, first, before retiring to their quarters to get some sleep and clean up a bit. They walked into the room, hand in hand, and despite the relatively early time of day they found Rocket, Groot and Peter Quill sitting at a table, enjoying an early breakfast.

"Good morning," Pepper said, walking over with Tony, curious what a tree would eat.

Turned out, it was eggs and bacon.

"How's the kid?" Rocket asked, looking up from his meal with interest.

Tony wasn't offended. It wasn't an insult when a talking racoon called your son _kid_ apparently, because he didn't even feel a stab of annoyance at the question.

"He's asleep, but he was awake enough in the middle of the night that we know he's lucid. Where's everyone else?"

"Gamora and Mantis are with Sirah," Peter said, rolling his eyes. "Drax is sleeping in."

"Did she happen to hear anything about the rest of Thanos' army?" Tony asked, curiously. "Did the light do anything?"

"No word, yet."

"He doesn't have much of an army left," Rocket pointed out. "And no generals to lead it, even if he did. Between the readouts that we have from the Milano and what we saw from your own people's sensors, it looks like he brought a serious show of force to bear – and they're all gone, now."

Quill smirked, looking pleased and smug.

"And good riddance."

"Thanks for the assist, yesterday," Tony told them, sincerely. Especially Quill, who had acted as wingman to him and Rescue as they'd worked on devastating Thanos' forces from the air. "Everyone's alright?"

"Once that light hit, yeah," Quill said. "Drax is a hands on kind of guy, but that thing works on every race and type, apparently, because he stopped bleeding before your medics could get to him."

Rocket nodded his agreement, pointing to an area on his cheek that was missing some hair, but was perfectly fine.

"I took a cut, and it was gone in an instant when the light went through me. Felt amazing."

"The hair didn't grow back, though," Pepper noted, visibly forcing herself not to reach out and pet him.

He was just that cuddly to her.

"Yeah. It'll mess up my pretty face for a while, until it evens out, again. No worries."

"You guys planning on sticking around a while?" Tony asked. "Or do you have someplace else you need to be?"

Quill shrugged.

"Gamora says that we need to take Sirah back to the Collector, so we'll have to do that, eventually, but I'm not in any hurry, if it's all the same to you. I kind of miss all the trees and greenery that comes with being on Earth, again."

"You're welcome here as long as you want to stay," Pepper assured him before Tony had a chance to say something similar. "But Peter won't be up to driving you down to the store for your junk food fix for a while, so we'll make sure someone else is available."

The man smiled, and Pepper decided that he was cute. He'd probably been adorable as a boy.

"I'm going to have to take you up on that, eventually. We're going to spend the day helping with some of the repairs around here, I might have a big mac attack later, though."

"I'll assign someone to be your liaison and driver," Tony told him. "You guys are set for now, though?"

"Yeah. We're good."

Tony looked at the young tree.

"Groot?"

"I am groot," he agreed, nodding, so Tony didn't need a translation.

They walked to the table in the corner, and Wanda Maximoff was sitting there, alone, but watching them as she nursed a cup of coffee. The young woman looked tired, but her expression wasn't as troubled as it had been, before, despite the events of the last few days.

"Can we join you?" Pepper asked, knowing that she was sometimes uncomfortable with others, since she was almost always able to catch their thoughts.

With people who knew she could do it, it sometimes made them uncomfortable, which she caught from them. She smiled, though, and nodded. Tony was her friend, and she knew it, and Pepper was, by extension of that.

"Of course. How is Peter?" she asked, even though she could get the feeling of relief from them and had to know that he was doing better.

"He's out of the immersion chamber, and sleeping in a bed, now." Tony couldn't hide the relief in his voice. "As soon as he's able, we'll get the mind stone out of the vibranium ball and get it back where it belongs."

Maximoff nodded at that.

"I appreciate-" she interrupted herself, her expression turning distant, just as Tony's communication link beeped, softly, in alert. "Natasha and the others are back," she told them, while Tony answered the call he was getting in soft tones to avoid anyone else.

He smiled over at Pepper, apologetically.

"Natasha wants me to meet her and the others in the gym. Are you alright here?"

"I'll have breakfast with Wanda and meet you in our rooms."

Stark left, and Pepper turned to Wanda.

"Is it serious?" she asked, fairly certain the young woman had some inkling of what was going on.

"No. _Interesting_, though."

OOOOOOO

The gym was in shambles, Tony saw, when he walked into the room. Several of the alien dogs had broken into it, and had clearly been met by a security team, because there were signs of confrontation and melee everywhere. Broken windows – despite the protective bars and grates – damaged walls and bleachers, and Ironpig's neat little enclosure was destroyed, which made Tony relieved that he'd sent the piglet away for the duration.

Standing at the other end of the room, though, were Natasha, Clint and Bruce, and Tony walked over to them, his eyes checking Bruce for any sign of injury – although no one else seemed to have been excluded from the healing light, so there wasn't really any reason that Banner would be, either, he supposed.

"You okay?" he asked as he walked up to them, even though he looked fine.

Bruce smiled, positively cheerful.

"Yeah. Nat says we took some casualties, here?"

"Yes. It was intense for a while. The Wakandans and The Asgard came and backed us up, though, and they took some losses, as well. No injured, though," he added. "You saw the light?"

"While I was in my hotel room," he confirmed. "Trying to figure out how to get here to help."

"We could have used the other guy," Tony agreed. "Presuming we could convince him not to smash the good guys, too."

"Funny you should mention that," Clint said, amused.

"Oh?"

The archer and Natasha both looked at Bruce, who took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A moment later, Tony jumped back, activating his suit, automatically, when The Hulk suddenly made an appearance, taking Bruce's spot.

"Relax, Tony," Natasha said, holding up a hand. "Bruce?"

"Yeah. I'm good."

Stark stared at the Hulk, shocked at hearing his friend's relaxed voice coming from the normally volatile creature in front of him.

"What the hell…?"

The ugly green face was suddenly creased with a smile, despite the shredded remains of the shirt he'd been wearing. Luckily, Bruce and Tony had developed pants that would stretch and accommodate the change a long time ago, or they'd be getting a much more varied display.

"It's okay, Tony," Bruce/Hulk said, also holding up a hand. "It's me."

"Bruce? What's going on?"

"Beats me," his friend said, shrugging those massive shoulders. "I was in my room, and the light comes rushing up. Next thing I know, I'm changing before I can stop myself – only my mind didn't change with my body."

"What?"

The hulk was suddenly gone, and Bruce was once more standing in front of him, pulling off the remains of the shirt that he'd ruined.

"I can still feel him," he said. "But when I change – and I can do it at will, completely now, without being angry – I have control."

"Seriously?"

Banner grinned, looking relieved – and more relaxed than Tony had ever seen him. Ever.

"Yes. Whatever the light did, it gave me control of the other guy. We're still two in one, but I can control what happens, now."

"That's incredible."

"He didn't want to risk coming home on a commercial flight," Natasha said, looking pleased, as well. "And I don't blame him."

"We'll want to run some test," Bruce told Tony. "Just to make sure it isn't something temporary, and I don't get set off before I can stop it, but so far it looks like I'm in control, now."

"_Wow_."

Bruce grinned.

"Yeah. Wow." He turned to Natasha and Clint. "I'm going to go change and unpack and then check on Peter. Breakfast, later?"

"Definitely."

Banner left the wrecked gym, and Tony and the others watched him go.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Clint asked, also smiling.

"That's one word for it, yes."

"How _is_ Peter?" Natasha asked.

"Slept through the night. Steve and Carol are with him, now, but I imagine he'd be fine with a little more company if you want to go check in with him. If he's awake, though, don't let him talk to you. Stephen wants to protect his lungs and throat, right now."

"I'm going to go look in on him before I go to bed," she said.

"I'll come with you," Clint told her.

They left, and Tony looked around the ruined gym, his eyes once more going to the piglet's shelter. He'd have to get contractors started on repairs to the interior of the compound as soon as possible. But first, he'd get something to eat with Pepper – and Wanda – and then get some rest.

Then he'd spend more time with Peter.


	77. Chapter 77

_A/N: The next couple of chapter will skip around a bit as I start wrapping up all of the loose ends for all of the characters I brought into this storyline, so bear with me on that!_

OOOOOOO

Peter was asleep when Natasha and Clint walked into the room. Steve and Carol were sitting in the chairs that Natasha had last seen Pepper and Tony in. Their heads were together and Carol was making awwwwing noises over something that they were looking at near Steve's lap, which made Clint smirk.

"If you have to get that close, it's _probably_ not worth looking at…"

Both captains looked over, and Steve rolled his eyes, even while Carol smirked. Rogers held up his phone, and maybe they saw just the faintest pink of a blush in his cheeks.

"For your _information_, I was showing her pictures from when Peter was a toddler," he told them both.

"_Riiight_." Natasha winked at Carol, amused, and moved up to the bed, taking the cluttered right side so she could get a look at the bandages on Peter's arm and hand, and a better view of his face. "How is he doing?"

"He's been asleep since we took over," Steve said.

"Has Stephen been by to look at him?"

"Not yet," Steve replied. "I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up, soon. He'll probably just say that Peter needs to sleep, though. That seems to be his recipe for healing every time something happens to one of us and he finds out about it."

"Lazy bum's been asleep for a couple of days, now," Clint replied, also moving closer to the bed to get a look at the boy. "If he keeps it up, we're going to have to wash the jet ourselves, next time."

Natasha wasn't the only one to smile at that, and she reached out and rested her hand against Peter's forehead, brushing his bangs back and checking for a fever. He didn't seem to be too warm, which made her wonder why the cloak wasn't in the bed with him, cuddling. At the touch, Peter opened his eyes, owlishly, and smiled when he realized who was with him. The smile grew when he noticed that she wasn't alone.

He lifted the bandaged hand, wincing slightly, and Romanoff shook her head, smiling softly down at him.

"I'm not _touching_ that hand, right now, baby," she said, leaning over and brushing a kiss against his forehead. "And don't say anything; Tony said you aren't supposed to try to speak, yet."

He nodded, and reached for her with his good hand, which made her take it, but Peter looked at the others, and Clint smiled, too, reaching over to brush his hand against the boy's hair.

"Hey, Peter Pony," the archer said, softly. "It's good to see you awake."

Peter's smile was tired, but his eyes told them that he was happy to see them all. He looked around, let go of Natasha's hand and made a motion with his own, pretending to be writing in the air. Natasha and Clint looked confused, but Steve nodded and held up the tablet Tony had given him up in front of the boy, making sure it was on.

"Don't speak," he reminded him, unnecessarily.

Peter ran his hand along the table, and it was Steve who read the question.

_You guys are okay?_

"We're fine," Natasha assured him. "Are you in pain?"

Peter shook his head, writing, again.

_Tony and Pepper?_

"Went to get something to eat," Steve told him. "They'll be back in a while, but _we_ wanted to spend time with you, too, so we shooed them away."

Peter smiled at that, but he looked so tired that Natasha leaned over him, again, and kissed him once more before pressing her cheek against his.

"Go to sleep, baby," she whispered. "We'll make sure someone is always with you when you wake up."

He nodded, but reached for the tablet, again.

_Ned okay?_

Steve frowned.

"Ned? Yeah, Peter, he's good. _Everyone_ is good. Go to sleep."

The boy did as he was told and closed his eyes, but he didn't let go of Natasha's hand, and she didn't let go of his until his grip went limp in her own. Only then did she release him, and pulled the blankets up over him, warmly.

"You guys are going to stay with him?"

Carol nodded.

"Yes."

"Let me know when you're ready for a break, and I'll come sit with him for a while before Tony and Pepper start hogging him to themselves, again."

Which made Steve smile and nod.

"I'll call you in a few hours. You went to get Bruce?"

"Yeah," Clint grinned. "_He's_ going to stop in and check on Peter when he gets unpacked. Ask him what's new and see what he says."

Steve raised an eyebrow, looking at Natasha, who shook her head – also looking amused.

"I'm not going to spoil his surprise by telling you."

"Huh. I'll make sure to ask. You guys get some rest. I expect we'll start debriefing the next day or so."

There were going to be a lot of them. Especially since they all knew Steve was going to want to get everyone's side of the events; from Gradymatson all the way down to the civilians who happened to have been caught in the battle when they'd been caught off guard by Thanos' sudden appearance and the fact that it had happened in the middle of the night. In many such situations, they'd have some – maybe many – that they wouldn't be able to talk to until wounds healed.

That wasn't an issue, this time.

"Don't forget to call me."

"I won't."

OOOOOOO

Tony had rejoined Pepper and Wanda in the lounge, rather than wait to meet her in their quarters. He smiled when he sat at the table, silently telling Pepper nothing was wrong, and ordered some breakfast, easily conversing with the two women, who already had their own meals and were eating. About the same time that Tony's food arrived, T'Challa and Shuri both made an appearance at the entrance to the lounge and walked over to the table, looking refreshed and regal.

Which made sense, Tony supposed.

"Good morning," T'Challa said as Tony stood at their arrival, smiling a greeting to Shuri, who blushed, lightly, at having Ironman perform even such a simple courtesy.

"Good morning."

"May we join you?"

"Of course." He gestured them into chairs and waved for a server from the bar to bring them tea before looking at Shuri. "Did you check on Peter?"

"Not _physically_," she told him. She held up her wrist, where she had a watch-like device. She pressed a control on it and there was a 3-D display with a scrolling list of numbers and stats on it. "It's my tech that is monitoring him, so I can keep track of his progress while not there. He is supposed to be resting, and I am _not_ a restful visitor – and he is not to be speaking, at the moment, and we all know how much I love to talk," she added. "I will wait."

Besides, it would give the avengers time to spend with him, first. She could wait since she had her information that could verify he was doing well.

"He slept through the night," Pepper told her, smiling and unable to hide her relief.

"That is good."

T'Challa had already asked his sister for a report on Peter's progress, so he didn't need to add to the conversation, deciding instead what he wanted for breakfast when the server came to ask.

"Have you slept?" Shuri asked, solicitously.

"A little – off and on."

"Our next stop is bed," Tony assured her. "For a while, anyway."

"You need to take care of yourselves," she told them, sounding so much like Stephen that Tony couldn't help but smile at that.

As if thinking of him had summoned him, the doctor chose that moment to walk into the room, dressed immaculately in one of his perfectly tailored suits and looking as if he had been awake for hours. He walked over and joined them with a smile of his own.

"I just came from checking on your son," he told Pepper and Tony, greeting the others at the table, as well. "He was asleep, but Steve tells me that he woke long enough to hold a very brief (and non-verbal) conversation with him and the others when they checked in on him."

"How long until we know his lungs are alright?" Pepper asked.

"A couple of days. He looks good, guys. When I left, he was resting easily, and his breathing is right on track for him."

And he was being cuddled by the Cloak of Levitation, which had startled Carol, who was still not used to the protective piece of drapery that had zoomed into the room without a sound and immediately taken charge of Peter, draping itself over the boy and caressing his ear, lightly, with a corner of fabric while the two watching Peter had looked on.

"Thank you," Tony said, sincerely. "Both of you."

"You're welcome." Stephen gave them both a look. "We're going to want to bring in a specialist for his hand, once we get the flesh healed more. I want it taken care of properly." His expression was a little bitter, then, as he added. "I know a couple of good ones I'd recommend."

Tony didn't need him to expound on that, and he glanced at the surgeon's hands, which were perfectly healed, now, and hadn't been a week ago.

"Whoever you think will work best with him – and us. We don't want to share Peter's condition with the media, obviously."

"_Or_ how he was injured," Pepper added.

"That won't be a problem." He thanked the server who knew him well enough by then to bring him a cup of coffee without asking. "Doctor Thompson suggested coating the bandages that we have on the hand with liquid from the immersion tank to allow the nanite tech a chance to continue healing, even though he's out of the chamber. It's a good idea, really – although we'll want to allow some air to the area, eventually."

"He's still in on Peter's care?" Pepper asked, somewhat surprised. "I thought he was a heart surgeon?"

"His specialty is the heart," strange agreed. "But I was talking to him the other day and found out that he's also one of the foremost experts in the country on traumatic burns. Apparently, that's what he does in the National Guard when he's working with them."

"Not a lot of need for heart surgeons in the field?" T'Challa asked, also aware of who the man was, since Shuri had been in contact with him, as well, and T'Challa wasn't about to let anyone near his sister without a full vetting process on them – whether they knew it, or not.

"Correct." Strange shrugged. "I'm inclined to use his expertise where we can."

Tony nodded, but before he could say anything, his watch alerted him to a call. He rolled his eyes, looking at the others.

"Ned's calling. Again."

Shuri smiled.

"He called me a few hours ago," she told him. "I am afraid I did not do a very good job of reassuring him and may have let on that Peter was injured. Ned thought that perhaps you and Pepper evacuated him to Wakanda."

"I'd better call him," Tony said, even though the incoming call had already gone to voicemail.

Pepper smirked.

"Before he tries to hack Friday?"

That made Tony smile.

"He's smart, but he isn't that good."

"He doesn't come to visit Peter, yet," Stephen ordered. "There isn't enough Prozac on the planet to make him restful enough to allow him near the place."

Which elicited a smile from Pepper, who happened to agree. She turned to Tony.

"Tell him that we'll have him out as soon as we can and let him know the rest of us are fine, so he doesn't worry."

"Yes, dear."


	78. Chapter 78

When they were finished eating, Tony and Pepper excused themselves to return to their quarters and get some sleep before returning to Peter's bedside. Stephen hung out to linger over his meal with T'Challa, Shuri and Wanda. He wasn't in any real hurry to finish, since he told them that he had every intention of staying at the compound the next day or two while Peter came through the more critical portion of his recovery.

Besides, he wanted to hear everyone's version of what had happened, and the compound was going to be an interesting place for the next few days. Especially when it came to relaying information to the press and to the other governments of the world. Presuming the Avengers decided to do anything more than simply mention that an alien army tried to attack the earth (which they couldn't cover up) and with the help of their allies the invaders had been defeated before they had a chance to do more than head for the city and the National Guard and Army units that had been standing their ground to defend it.

"Are you staying, princess?" Strange asked, knowing that T'Challa was going back to Wakanda.

He knew because _he_ was the one that was making the portal to send him home.

"I am not," she told him, solemnly. "I must go home and take part in the ceremonies that are upcoming."

"It is only fitting that we both attend the ceremonies for our dead," T'Challa explained.

"Steve and Carol will be attending many," Shuri said, unable to hide the excitement that she felt at being able to show Captain America what her country was like, beyond the little he already knew. "It will add to the honor of each family, of course, to have such a renown warrior come."

Strange nodded. He knew that if she didn't have instant access to Peter's monitoring devices, she might be a little less willing to leave his side, but a princess didn't always get to do what she wanted to do. Sometimes – _most_ of the time, even – duty to her people came first.

"Let me know when you're ready."

"We will," T'Challa agreed.

"I want to go check on Peter before I leave," Shuri told her brother – and Stephen.

T'Challa nodded, not surprised by the request.

"Mother will want to know the latest news on his condition."

OOOOO

It was Natasha who was sitting at Peter's bedside when he woke, again, a motion and a slightly pained noise drawing her attention from the crossword puzzle that she'd been working on. She set it aside, reaching over and brushing her fingers against his forehead – ignoring the cloak, which was also caressing his forehead. Since he wasn't fevered, the ancient relic had full access to his favorite cuddle buddy and was taking advantage of the fact that Stephen was hanging out at the compound for a few days.

"Hey," she murmured, softly. "Awake again, huh? _Don't_ answer aloud," she added, with a smile. "You're still not supposed to talk."

He made a show of scowling, looking absolutely adorable, despite the fact that she thought that he looked exhausted and so wiped out that he seemed to only be a shell of his normal self. It would pass, she knew. It was just a matter of making him take care, for now, and do what he was told. The boy held up his good hand, again pretending to write so she could hand him the tablet.

_For how long?_

"Until _Stephen_ says differently," came the answer. "He's pleased with your progress, so far, but you know how doctors are. _Cautious_." She smiled, pleased to have him awake, and to have him to herself – even though she knew it wouldn't last. "Probably all the medical malpractice suites."

That made Peter smile, too.

_Did he have any?_

Romanoff smirked.

"I'm sure if you asked he'd tell you he hasn't, but it would be fun to watch his eye twitch at the question."

Peter smiled at that, too. he knew she loved teasing Strange, and he was all for anything that made her happy, of course.

_Did I miss homecoming?_

Proving that he had no idea what was going on around him, or how long he'd been sleeping. She wondered if Alec was still in his head, or if the ancient alien sorcerer had somehow been burned from his mind during the surge of power the stones had sent coursing through Peter's body.

"No, baby."

He was _going_ to, though. It was a few days away, and he wasn't even close to being healthy enough to attend.

_You are staying with me?_

"Until Tony and Pepper come and shoo me away so they can have my spot. Do you hurt?"

He shook his head.

_No_

She had a feeling that that wasn't entirely true.

"Then go back to sleep, okay?"

_I'm not good company sleeping_

"Do what I tell you. You're good company no matter what we're doing. You know that."

He smiled, and reached for her hand with his good one, beseechingly, and Natasha took it in hers, squeezing it, lightly, but she didn't say anything else, instead being quiet so he would fall asleep rather than attempt a conversation. It worked, of course, and he was asleep again in only minutes.

Romanoff could have let his hand go and went back to her crossword puzzle, but she opted to just hang out, instead. The puzzle could wait, after all.

OOOOOO

They all met in the lounge.

It was a nice room, and had plenty of space. It also was the room with all the good junk food and alcoholic beverages. Despite the relatively early time of day, Drax had a drink in front of him, although the others were drinking coffee, tea or (in Quill's case) a cola.

Gamora and Mantis had joined them, along with Sirah, who was still dressed in the oversized sweatshirt and pants that she'd been wearing when she'd been brought to the compound. Mantis had offered her something more form-fitting, but the girl had clung to the clothing that she had been given and said she was comfortable and warm.

"Did you hear anything?" Quill asked Gamora, curiously.

She hadn't spoken to any of the avengers, yet, since returning from the ship, which was parked on the side of the building with an enormous mesh over it to hide it from satellites, knowing that they were all busy, and the information that she had – while _important_ – wasn't something that was needed immediately. It could wait. She shook her head.

"Nothing too interesting. The light's spreading, though; it left this solar system and seems to be expanding, and moving faster – because it _should_ be several years before it reaches any other populated system, and it is only a few hours from reaching the first of the inhabited planets."

"That's when things will get interesting," Rocket said.

"We could leave, though," Drax told them. "Right? They don't need us, here, anymore. There's no one left to fight."

Peter frowned.

"We can't _go_. All the cool stuff is happening here."

"True," Rocket agreed. "Besides, I want to see how the kid is doing before we bug out."

"I am groot," Groot agreed.

Drax looked at Gamora, who shrugged.

"It won't hurt to stay a few more days, at least."


	79. Chapter 79

He was floating in a blackness that was filled with endless aches and pains – nothing too terrible but always there. _Always_. Especially his hand. It wasn't enough to keep him awake – not with the medications that were coursing through his body to counter the ache – but it was enough to keep him from sleeping soundly most of the time.

He wasn't alone, either. Not only did he have someone near him every time he opened his eyes – and he _felt_ them even when he didn't have his eyes open – but Alec was in his mind, doing what he could to bolster him, the cloak was now crooning a nonstop lullaby in his head and the infinity stones were all making themselves known to him while he recovered from the trauma that using them had caused his body.

The stones weren't being as subtle as they once had been, either. They'd had a chance to know him, now, and had all been connected to him, and while they weren't sentient like Alec (or even the cloak) they were definitely very different personalities that he couldn't ignore now that they were awake. Even through the vibranium that had them so neatly wrapped up, just then.

"_It won't last too long,"_ Alec assured him_. "They're just excited."_

"_They're_ stones," Peter reminded him, feeling the loving influence of Tony and Pepper gradually taking the place of the solid presence that was Natasha. "_They don't feel like that."_

"_You know better,"_ Alec chided, gently. _"The mind stone has always been infatuated by you. Now the others are getting their chance to spend time in your mind and since I can feel them, I know you must be able to, as well."_

He _could_, too. Not overpowering like they had been; now it was muted and almost like mental caresses. The mind stone was the same as it always had been; comfortable and secure in its presence, but he could tell the others apart, now, also. The time stone was a lot like _Stephen_; dignified and sophisticated, although it was just as happy to be with him as the others. The reality stone was taking an almost childish delight in his company, and the space stone kept showing him places that they could go – he only needed to give the word.

The soul stone was ancient, and wise beyond anything in the universe, it seemed to Peter, being the repository of all the knowledge of the countless souls that eventually, _always_, came to it in the end. It was the _power_ stone, however, that had Peter most distracted. The thing was mentally sidling up to him, practically rubbing against his mind, radiating approval, and smugness that even Peter could recognize. It was pleased – with itself _and_ with Peter – and it wasn't bothering to hide that from the boy.

It was all distracting, but that was fine, because it helped make the pain less unbearable. Even asleep he felt someone taking his hand and holding it, caressing his cheek and murmuring words of love and encouragement to him. The cloak's lullaby softened, Alec fell silent and even the stones all seemed to be in agreement that he rest, because they, too, went mostly silent in his mind, and Peter's sleep deepened into something more restful, and much more helpful to the healing process.

OOOOOO

"Where's your troublemaker of a husband?"

Pepper smiled, looking away from Peter's sleeping form to glance at Nick, who was walking over to the bed, holding Nutmeg.

"He's seeing T'Challa and Shuri off. Stephen's portalling them home."

The handsome face frowned.

"We don't need the princess?"

"She's a phone call away if anything happens," Pepper assured him, reaching for Peter's kitten to free Nick's hands to check on the boy. "Stephen says that he's doing very well, all things considered."

"Has he woken?"

"A few times. He just opens his eyes, looks over to see if someone is with him, and then goes back to sleep."

"Strange isn't concerned?"

"Doesn't seem to be."

"What about the trauma guy?"

"He took the bandages off and he and Stephen checked the hand and arm. The nanotech seems to be doing the trick; it looks good, they tell me."

Fury nodded, looking at the bandages that were bundled along the right hand and arm – up to Peter's shoulder. Pepper looked concerned, but not panicked, and he knew that if she had any doubts about what she was being told by the doctors, she wouldn't be able to hide it.

"Where are the infinity stones?"

"Still in the polymorph."

"Shuri didn't open it and get Vision back on his feet?"

"She can't," Pepper replied. "It only works for Peter."

He sat down in the chair that Tony had vacated to go say goodbye to the Wakandans.

"I've been watching some of the video feeds from the battle… you were looking _pretty_ good there, Rescue."

Which made Pepper smile, although she shrugged, modestly.

"I was following _Tony_," she reminded him. "He cleared out all the heavy fighting before I actually even came close to it."

He probably didn't think she knew that (unlikely) – or maybe he hadn't realized that he was doing it (less likely) but there hadn't been any doubt that the Ironman suit was doing everything needed to keep Rescue from hitting any fighting that might have been overwhelming. Which she appreciated – although she knew she could never acknowledge that he'd done. He'd just deny it.

"Still did great. Are you going to keep the suit?"

"Maybe." She smiled. It _was_ pretty amazing – and she loved flying in it, if nothing else. "Hopefully I never _have_ to use it, again."

Which didn't mean she'd never put it on.

"Looks like we're out of evil aliens, for now."

"True."

He looked at Peter, again.

"Need a break?"

"No. I've only been here a few hours. We'll sit with him through dinner."

"Steve and Danvers are going to go to Wakanda this evening – daytime in Africa. There are a few traditional ceremonies they have there – like mass funerals, only more intimate. We'll start debriefing when they get home – most likely tomorrow afternoon." Before she could wonder why he was mentioning that to her, he stood up. "We'll want to get your thoughts on what happened, too, so make yourself available."

Debriefing was a new thing for her, but she nodded, and gestured toward Peter's bed with the hand that wasn't cradling the kitten.

"You know where to find me."

"Make sure you get some rest, too," he added, seriously. "And sleeping in a chair doesn't count."

"Yes, Nick."

"I _mean_ it."

Pepper smiled.

"I know."

It shouldn't surprise her that he treated all of them like wayward children. He was the one who'd initially been director of SHIELD and had brought the avengers together in the first place. Of course he'd have some proprietary feelings toward them. And some paternal ones.

"Want me to take the cat?"

Pepper shook her head, pressing her face into Nutmeg's furry side so she could hear him purr.

"No. I have him. He'll be good company until Tony returns."

"Tell Tony to eat."

"I will."

"I'll be back for a turn watching Peter, later, too. Don't forget."

"Yes, dad…"

The formidable man smirked, acknowledging the dig. Then he went to his feet, touched her shoulder for just a moment as he glanced back over at Peter and then left.

Pepper smiled down at Nutmeg, who suddenly found a corner of the cloak caressing his side.

"Did uncle Nick feed you?" she asked in a soft murmur. "Or should I have someone bring something?"

She kissed the top of the yellow and white head and watched him settle in and promptly fall asleep. Clearly he wasn't hungry and would much rather sleep. Pepper tucked him carefully next to Peter's uninjured side, shaking her head as the cloak made room for him and then curled some fabric around him.

Never a dull moment, she decided, watching as the deadly ancient relic played nanny to the 12 oz kitten. Then she picked up her tablet to watch more of the news feeds to see what the rest of the world was doing while she waited for her son to wake up so she could get an idea of how he was feeling.


	80. Chapter 80

It was pain that finally woke Peter, fully.

He opened his eyes, sleepily, and found that there was a small crowd of people around the bed that he was in. He turned his head toward the pain that he was feeling and saw Stephen standing beside the bed with a man who looked familiar, but Peter couldn't remember why – or who he was. He guessed that he was a doctor, because the man had a pair of scissors in one hand and was carefully cutting bandages off the boy's right hand – all the way up his arm – while Strange was supporting the limb.

"Hold still, Peter," Strange told him, calmly. "We're almost done."

He felt, rather than heard, someone to the other side, and turned his head away from the two doctors and saw Pepper and Tony standing on his left. Pepper was holding his hand in both of hers, and Tony was hovering, protectively, close by the upraised head of Peter's bed, with the Cloak of Levitation draped over his shoulder, seemingly watching the proceedings as well.

"You're okay," Tony told him, his hand going to Peter's forehead and staying there. "Just hold on, alright?"

"You're okay?" Peter asked, feeling off-kilter and confused.

He felt his voice grate, as if his throat was coated in sandpaper, but it didn't hurt to talk – and no one told him that he couldn't.

"We're fine," Stark assured him, his eyes warm and filled with nothing but love. Not even any concern. It was either a great bluff to make Peter sure that he really was going to be alright, or Tony really felt that he was in good hands. "Hold still, son. We don't want to have to sue Flash's dad for malpractice if he slices your arm off."

Peter smiled at the teasing tone in Tony's voice, and turned his head, realizing that that was why the strange doctor looked familiar.

"You're Flash's dad…" he didn't make it a question but was still out of it enough that it sounded normal to repeat what Tony had just said.

Luckily, the doctor had good bedside manner, and was apparently used to dealing with heavily medicated patients. He nodded without looking up from what he was doing, the sharp scissors making short work of the bandages – but there were a lot of them.

"I am."

"I thought you were a heart guy…?" he frowned and looked down at his bandaged side. "Are you operating on my heart?"

Strange wasn't the only one to smile.

"Your heart's fine, Peter. Hold still."

He fell silent, and all of them watched as the bandages were carefully pulled away from the injured hand and arm. Peter heard Pepper's sharp intake of breath, and her grip on his hand tightened – as did the hold Tony had on his forehead. The boy looked at his hand, felt himself suddenly go light-headed, and was suddenly bolstered from the inside by Alec, who sent him a wordless surge of reassurance.

"It looks good," Doctor Thompson said, approvingly.

Peter looked up at him, uncertainly.

"It _does_?"

"Considering where it was four days ago?" Strange replied before the other doctor could. "Yes. It's healing amazingly well."

"It's _black_…"

"That's from the energy that was sent through your arm and your hand," Flash's father explained. "It was badly burned – more like an electrical burn than anything. It's clean, and the edges look very good. The flesh is nicely pink, and healthy." He looked over Peter at Tony and Pepper. "It's _amazing_."

Tony smiled, relieved.

"Peter's an amazing guy."

"More of the same," Stephen said, to the other doctor, as well as to Tony and Pepper.

"Definitely," Thompson approved. "We'll continue using the nanotech on the bandages until the burn wounds are completely closed, then we'll start him on physical therapy – minimal to start, and more as the hand heals."

"Thank you," Pepper told him, looking relieved by how confident he sounded.

"You're welcome. I'll prepare a new set of bandages. It'll take a few minutes, but it won't hurt the wounds to get some air, at any rate." He looked at Peter. "Hold your arm and hand as still as you can until we get you bandaged, again, yeah?"

Peter nodded.

"Okay."

Thompson left and Tony looked at Stephen.

"How does the rest of him look?"

"We already know that he recovers well," Strange reminded them. "His stats look pretty good." He looked at Peter, and now it was his hand that went to Peter's forehead, making Tony move his own, "How's the head?"

"It doesn't hurt," Peter told him. "Not much, anyway."

"One to ten?"

"Two?"

"And any pain anywhere else – aside from the hand, of course?"

"The hand overpowers everything else," Peter admitted, truthfully. "If anything else hurts, I can't feel it."

"That's not unexpected. Or uncommon."

"So we keep him in bed?" Tony asked.

"No." Strange turned his attention to the IV that was hanging at Peter's bedside and fiddled with it for a moment. "We get him on his feet as soon as the new bandages are on."

"Are you _sure_?" Pepper asked, and now she did look a little concerned. "He's in pain."

"It isn't his leg, though. The sooner we get him upright and moving around, the less complications we're going to be looking at. He doesn't have a fever, and the burns everywhere else are fairly well healed, already. I want him on his feet and eating solid food as soon as possible."

Tony frowned at his friend, and then down at Peter.

"How do you feel?

"Tired."

"Saving the universe will do that to you," Stephen told him. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"Do you feel sick to your stomach?"

Peter hesitated and then shook his head.

"No."

"We'll put him in a sling to immobilize the arm and protect the hand," Strange told Pepper and Tony. "If we get him mobile, though, we can move him out of this room and into his own – and get rid of the catheter."

Which was a great way to get Peter on board with the idea. He'd much rather be in his own bed than where he was, of course – and he didn't like the catheter. Tony and Pepper were a little harder to convince, though.

"We're not pushing him into too much, too soon?"

"If it were someone _else_, yes," Stephen conceded. "But Peter's tougher than many, and he has the tech that can keep an eye on him in case he has any kind of medical emergency – which I don't expect him to have," he added quickly. "Again, the sooner the better."

"Did I miss homecoming?" Peter asked.

"Homecoming is in two days," Pepper told him.

"That isn't going to happen," Strange confirmed. "Until the skin is healed on the hand and arm, you're staying in the compound and with nominal contact – just to minimize the risk of infection."

Peter's expression must have told them all just how disappointing that was, but they were all in agreement on it. At least, Pepper and Toy were willing to follow Stephen's lead on anything that had to do with making sure their son didn't have any setbacks. Especially now that he was awake and seemed much more lucid than he had been.

"It won't be that long," Tony assured him. "You know that."

"Too long," Peter said, softly.

Under normal circumstances he would have been able to do a better job of hiding his disappointment, but he was hurting, exhausted and still reeling emotionally from all that had happened, especially now that he was more awake and was remembering what had happened in bits and pieces. He just didn't have the energy or the focus, just then, to handle any of it with any amount of positivity.

They all understood, of course, and none of them were annoyed. It wasn't a typical teenaged angst kind of situation, after all, and Peter wasn't prone to that, anyway. Rather than embarrass him, though, by pointing it out, Tony just leaned over, not at all self-conscious about pressing his cheek against his son's.

"We'll get you healthy, first," he said, as the cloak crooned softly into Peter's mind, brushing against the boy's cheek, as well. "Then we'll find a way to make it up."

Peter nodded, and then frowned, looking at Pepper as Tony pulled back, unwilling to risk him moving the injured arm and hand – especially without any protective bandages on it.

"Did I miss your birthday?" he asked, uncertainly – proving that he still wasn't all there.

He hadn't been awake that long, really.

Pepper shook her head.

"No. Not even close, yet."

Before he could say anything – or ask any other questions, the door opened and the other doctor was back, a tray with a new set of bandages on it in his hands. Stephen looked at Tony and Pepper, pointedly.

"We'll get him ready to be moved out of here," the sorcerer said. "Why don't you two go make sure that his quarters are set up for him?"

Meaning that he needed Pepper out of the room so they could take care of the catheter without a feminine audience, and to get them clear so they didn't have to watch the boy's damaged hand and arm get trussed up in a new swathing of bandages. Pepper nodded, understanding, immediately.

"We can do that," she agreed. "Are you hungry for anything in particular for dinner?" she asked Peter, squeezing his good hand, gently.

"Anything."

"Soup and a bland sandwich," Strange told her.

Tony rolled his eyes.

"It'll be interesting to see him try to eat soup with one hand."

Which made the doctor frown.

"Good point. Just the sandwich."


	81. Chapter 81

"Are you sure about this, Stephen?"

"Why do you ask me that when I already have him on his feet?" Strange asked, more amused than annoyed. "If I weren't certain he could handle it, he'd still be in his bed."

"He looks ready to fall over."

Both men looked across the medical room at Peter, who was being eased to his feet with a helping hand from Pepper. The boy was now dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He had slippers on his bare feet, and the Cloak of levitation now draped over his shoulders, keeping him warm. The right hand and arm were in a brilliant white bandage and tucked carefully into a sling that kept the arm immobilized against his side and the hand pressed into his belly.

He did look pale and fragile, like Tony had commented, but he wasn't in too much danger of falling over – as the doctor was quick to point out.

"He's wearing my cloak, Tony. If he loses his balance, it'll catch him and hold him upright until he's steady, again."

Stark didn't look entirely convinced, but he didn't argue. The two men walked over, and Peter must have seen the worry on Tony's expression, because he gave him a wan smile.

"I'm okay."

"I know." Tony's hand was gentle when it brushed against Peter's forehead. "You're warm enough?"

"Yeah."

"Just to his rooms, guys," Stephen said. "That'll be enough walking for a first time." He turned his attention to the boy. "One thing that you need to be careful of is losing your balance and trying to automatically catch yourself. We have that hand protected like it is for a reason. If you start to fall, reach with the left hand. Got it?"

"Right."

The cloak rubbed a corner of fabric against the boy's cheek, reassuringly, and Peter smiled – presumably at something that only he could hear or feel. Strange shook his head, but turned his attention back to the boy's parents.

"Put him to bed, guys. I'll be by to check on him, later."

Tony nodded and moved to open the door for Pepper and Peter, and then walked with his little family at Peter's slow, tired pace. Pepper was the one to hover at the boy's left side, her hand almost touching his elbow, but clearly forcing herself not to grab him and hold on as she really wanted to do. Tony walked on the right side, careful not to brush against him.

"You're not too sore?" he asked, once they were out of earshot of Stephen and Doctor Thompson.

He shook his head.

"I am, but it's not that bad."

"And you're not just saying that to keep us from worrying?" Pepper asked.

"No. _Really_."

He flashed her a smile, but needed his breath for walking, so he didn't say anything else – although he did reach for her hand with his good left hand. Pepper squeezed it lightly, but she and Tony were quiet on the way to Peter's quarters.

The boy frowned when he looked at the door – which looked different.

"What's up with my door?" he asked, noticing when they entered his living room area that someone had vacuumed because the marks in the carpet made by the suction were still there.

"One of those alien dogs broke your door down," Tony told him. "We had to replace it. And the frame."

"Why/"

"You needed a _door_, son…" Tony told him, smirking at Pepper.

Despite being tired from the walk, Peter rolled his eyes, amused that Tony misunderstood his question on purpose.

"Why was the thing breaking into my room?"

"Good question. And a mystery that everyone who has seen the video has tried to solve, without any success. You can watch it, sometime, and see what you can learn."

"_Hello, Peter."_

"Hey, Karen."

Tony walked ahead of Peter into his bedroom, and pulled the blankets back for him before helping to ease him into the bed without jostling the injured arm.

"Speaking of Karen; I modified her integration a bit – for now, anyway."

"Yeah?"

The billionaire stepped back to allow Pepper to pull the blankets up over him, and then the cloak settled itself over him, as well, its smug mumbling already soothing him.

"She's completely voice activated, now – and I added her to incoming and outgoing communications. Like Friday is for me. You can use her to call out on your phone without actually _using_ your phone – and to answer it, if you get an inbound call."

"In case you're in bed and the phone is in the living room," Pepper told him. "Then you don't need to get up."

"That's cool," Peter said, rolling slightly onto his left side so he could look at them, and still resting his head against the mountain of pillows that had him propped somewhat upright. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. You're going to want to call Ned when you get a chance. He's been trying to get in touch with you – and is worried."

"I will." Peter suddenly frowned and sat upright, wincing. "I left a girl at the safe house with Ned. I can't even imagine what-"

"She's here," Tony interrupted, his hand going to Peter's chest and pushing him carefully back into the pillows. "Relax."

"Who is she?" Pepper asked, curiously.

She'd heard that she was a servant, but none of them really knew where Peter had found her – or more importantly; why he'd brought her to the safe house.

"She was on this scary planet, hiding in a spaceship…" he said, relaxing just a little, now, and looking at both of them, wishing that Pepper would settle on the bed next to him so that he could cuddle up against her – or _Tony_, although the toddler definitely preferred Pepper. Peter assumed it was because she was a woman and the little guy wasn't as far removed from the comforts that momma could give that a dad couldn't as Peter was. "I'm not sure – exactly – but she had the reality stone and I couldn't take it from her and leave her alone there. She was pretty scared."

"Of course, you couldn't," Pepper agreed.

"Ned was pretty freaked out, though," Tony told him, smiling. "He called and was looking for you, but when you didn't answer, he called me – and said someone needed to come get the girl Peter left in the safe house."

"Needless to say, we sent Wong to see what he meant – and he brought her back here."

"She's alright?"

"She's fine. Apparently Quill and the others know where she's from. They'll take her back when they leave."

He was fading, a little by then, but he roused.

"They're still here, though, right?"

"Yeah." Tony was quick to assure him. "They're going to stick around until you're on your feet, a bit more. And Gamora is waiting to hear about some questions that she had for someone on some distant planet."

Peter smiled.

"It's weird to say that, isn't it?"

"That it is." Tony brushed his hand along Peter's cheek. "I'm going to go get you something to eat. Mom's going to stay and keep you company. Okay?"

Peter nodded, looking at Pepper, hopefully, and forcing down a little squee that almost escaped him when she settled on the bed close enough to him that he could scoot over and be pressed against her hip. She responded, automatically, putting her hand on his back, since she didn't dare even touch his shoulder. Just in case.

"Yeah."

"You got him?" he asked his wife.

"I think we'll be fine."

"Try to stay awake," Tony told him, leaning over and kissing Pepper's cheek before he left.

Peter shifted, again, and now his cheek was resting on her leg instead of the pillows. In that, at least, he and the toddler were usually in complete agreement. They both loved to cuddle. He closed his eyes, contentedly, feeling her brush her fingers through his hair, lightly.

"Are you going to sleep?" she asked.

"No." Peter turned his head to look up at her – without lifting it, maintaining contact with her leg. "You guys weren't hurt?"

"No, sweetheart. No one was."

"Natasha was."

"She's fine, now."

"I was-"

"_Incoming call from Ned,"_ Karen interrupted.

Peter smiled – and the expression made Pepper smile, too, because he looked so pleased.

"Connect, please, Karen." That was just too cool. "Ned?"

"_Peter? Jesus, dude. Are you alright? Everyone's going crazy, and that stupid mother-"_

"Hi, Ned," Pepper interrupted," smirking at Peter, who grinned at the timely interruption.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"_Pepper?"_ Ned's voice was a little less certain. "_Is that you?"_

"Yes. How are you?"

"_Oh. Fine. Thank you."_

"Tony integrated Karen into hands-free in my room," Peter explained to his friend. "You're on speaker, pretty much."

The _ultimate_ speaker phone, really.

"_Sweet."_ Ned sounded suitably impressed. _"Are you alright? Tony said you were hurt."_

"Yeah. I hurt my hand a little."

Pepper shook her head; he was trying to keep Ned from worrying like he tried to keep everyone from worrying. Ned wasn't fooled, though.

"_How bad is it, Pepper?"_

"It's _pretty_ bad. He'll be laid up for a while."

Peter rolled his eyes, but tucked his face against her leg, feeling a surge of happiness inside, despite the announcement.

"A few days, at least…" Peter told him. "But I'm okay."

"Ned," pepper said, before the other boy could reply. "I'm going to pull the mom card and have Peter call you back, later, alright? After he's had a chance to eat and get some rest."

"_Oh. Yeah, no that's good. Get some rest, Peter. Tell Sirah I said hi. I'll tell MJ I talked to you – so call her, later, too. She was asking about you."_

Peter nodded, even though Ned couldn't see it.

"I will."

"_Call me when you can."_

The line went dead, and the boy sighed, reminded by the call that he was going to miss the upcoming dance, but well aware that Stephen was right; he wasn't up for it, for sure. Not even as an observer.

"Don't worry," Pepper told him, softly, as if she knew what he was thinking. "You'll be out of bed soon."

"I know."

Peter touched her leg with his good hand, but then closed his eyes when she resumed her caresses, soothing him.

Maybe a short nap, while he waited for Tony to return.


	82. Chapter 82

Tony went to the lounge to get their meal.

For one thing, the commissary was still being repaired after some heavy battling between SHIELD forces and two of the armored ape-looking things, and the menu was as limited just then as the lounge normally carried. For another – and more important to Stark – the lounge was the center of the informal information hub for the compound. Everyone would want to know how Peter was doing, and they couldn't all come visit him. Tony could spread the word on his progress by going to the lounge.

Sure enough, the moment he walked into the room only minutes after leaving his son's quarters, Fury and Clint were both next to him at the bar as he was finishing a request with the bartender for some simple sandwiches.

"How is he, Tony?" Nick asked.

"Stephen had us walk him to his rooms. He's in bed, there, and we have orders to get him on his feet tomorrow."

Nick wasn't the only one to frown.

"Already?"

"He says it's safe. Peter's in good shape, all things considered; the biggest concern is his arm and hand – and they say it looks good, really."

"Strange wouldn't let Peter out of the medlab unless it was safe," Clint said.

He didn't like the idea of Peter being out from under the immediate care of the doctors – not when he was only a couple of days from the chamber – but he also knew that the boy's health was always at the top of the doctor's priorities. Not because Strange was Natasha's boyfriend and Peter was her favorite Avenger, either.

Tony nodded his agreement.

"Peter handled the transition just fine. He's tired, weak and probably hurts more than he's letting on, but we've brought him through injuries before, and we'll do it this time, too."

"The least we can do for the guy who saved the universe, right?" Nick asked, even though he knew that Peter's role in things was going to be well concealed by them.

The Avengers knew what he'd done, though, as did many of the others. The general public would be kept in the dark, however. They'd only needed to discuss _that_ for about ten minutes – and no one had even seriously considered allowing a connection between the brilliant light that not only destroyed every alien invader but also seems to have blanket healed the entire planet to the teenager.

They couldn't control the internet, completely, of course, but there weren't many images or recordings of what had happened on the rooftop – and Friday had control of all of them. Rumors were flying across the globe, even in the face of the official statement that Tony had made from the corridor outside of Peter's medical room.

_An alien force, with the intent of destroying all life on earth and taking control of her resources, was stopped before they could reach New York – and before another force had managed to land outside Beijing. Two other craft were destroyed before they even managed to bring their armies to bear, so we have no comment on what their intended targets were. In regards to the light that was observed crossing the planet, all we can say is that it was alien in nature and is believed to have possessed some element that sent a wave of suddenly healed people in its wake. _

He'd left it at that, allowing the world to make their own conclusion – which they would have anyway.

"Only _half_ of the universe," Tony told them with a slight smile. "The other half wasn't in any danger."

Clint snorted, glad to see that Stark didn't seem too concerned. If _he_ wasn't, then no one was hedging on Peter's potential for recovering.

"We can go check on him?"

"Not tonight," Tony told them. "But I expect by tomorrow he'll be bored being stuck under whatever restriction his condition – and _Stephen_ – place on him. Just watch his hand, okay? And no wrestling while he's in the sling."

Clint nodded, but the meal that stark ordered arrived before he could reply.

"Steve and Carol will be back by dawn," Fury reported. "We'll start debriefings when they have a chance to get some rest."

"Sounds good. I'll keep apprised via Friday."

"And will add your own version to the official report."

"Yeah. Of course. Peter comes first, though."

"Of course."

Tony grabbed his bags of food.

"Tell him I'll see him, tomorrow," Clint said.

"Will do."

OOOOOOO

"He didn't make it, huh?"

Pepper smiled and looked up at Tony's entrance.

"He tried, but no. He said to wake him when you returned.

They both looked at the boy who was cuddled against her leg, injured hand tucked carefully in the sling against his chest and stomach between them. The cloak was still on him, caressing his cheek, and Tony went to the other side of the bed, bag still in hand.

"What do you think, Pep? Wake him? Or let him sleep it off?"

She shrugged, her hand brushing Peter's forehead.

"He asked, specifically."

"Then we'll wake him."

It wasn't like he couldn't go right back to sleep when he was done eating, after all.

OOOOOOO

The knock at the door was answered, almost immediately, and Stephen smiled when he saw that it was Natasha on the other side. He stepped to the side to allow her to walk into his quarters at the compound, which looked a little more lived in, now, than they had when the rooms had initially been given to him. Of course, all he needed to do was think about what he wanted and it was there, so it was pretty easy to do.

"Hey, handsome, looking for a good time?"

He smirked, amused at the teasing tone and the ages old line coming from the deadly woman's lips, and closed the door behind her.

"I'm too _tired_ for a good time, right now," he admitted. "How about a lazy, quiet night – provided my patient doesn't have an unexpected setback?"

"Is that a possibility?" she asked, catching his hand and walking him over to the sofa, pulling him down beside her.

"I would never say _never_," the doctor told her, sighing when she began to rub his shoulders, which were tense. "But I will stand behind _unexpected_."

"How did the hand look?" she asked, allowing her concern for Peter to sound off in her worried tone. "Any better?"

"It looks good," he replied. "The nanotech is doing exactly what Shuri wanted it to accomplish. The wounds are healing extremely well – between the tech and his own healing capabilities, I expect a full recovery, with no loss of range of motion in the hand."

"And no fever?"

She knew that he wouldn't have allowed the cloak to stick around with Peter if there was any chance of it aggravating a pre-existing fever.

"No. He looks good, Natasha. Really. You can visit him in the morning."

"Is he restricted to bed?"

"I'd rather he didn't overdo it, but no. Moving around won't hurt him – as long as we don't allow him to injure that hand or do anything too foolish."

The assassin smiled and looked at the hand that she was holding.

"And _your_ hands?"

Strange shook his head, looking down at the hand, as well.

"They're fine. As good as they ever were, really. My own little miracle."

She smiled at the wonder in his expression – and his tone – despite the way he tried to make it sound as if weren't that big a deal. She knew it was. Natasha brought the hand up to kiss the palm.

"Going to give up being a magician and back to brain surgery full-time, now?"

He snorted, softly; he'd already realized that that was a real possibility, although it was an idea that he'd dismissed, immediately.

"Magic is more interesting," he told her. "As are the people I've met."

Which made her smile and pull him into her arms. He was tired, and she was in the mood to cuddle. She'd let Tony and Pepper have Peter for the rest of the night, and would spend some time with him, the next day, leaving her free to spend a little time with Stephen while he was at the compound.


	83. Chapter 83

"_You can't handle the responsibility…" the silky voice said, belying the terrible visage of the being that was trying to convince him. "Give me the stones, boy. I'll take care of it."_

_Pain was clouding his judgement, but Peter knew that was a terrible idea. Even half mad with agony and shock, Thanos was the enemy and he knew it with all his being. He felt a wave of fury go through him, and it was the power stone. The most awesome of all of the infinity stones – and easily the deadliest. It had already been used once to destroy, and it didn't welcome the idea of being returned to Thanos, now that it was away from him._

"_The universe is mine," Peter told him, standing on the roof top, with Tony and Pepper standing behind him, providing the reminder of what he was going to die to protect. He meant the small portion of it – the Avengers, and the people that he cared for – even the city to the south that was in danger of being decimated. "Mine."_

_The cold eyes narrowed, looking at him; filled with fury that a simple boy would try to thwart what he'd long known was his destiny._

"_Give me the stones, Clyde."_

_A snap of the fingers in reply, and then a white light that coursed through him with remembered agony. The stones all responding to Peter's command. Their power combining in a way that the universe hadn't felt since its very beginnings. All of the stones feeling what Peter wanted and channeling their power to the boy's will – amplifying the power stone, which surged through the glove he was wearing, along the vibranium which increased the power even more._

_Within minutes, Peter was on his knees, certain that he was dying, but secure in the knowledge that everyone that he loved was going to live. He had a fleeting thought of trying to save himself by pulling the energy back a little, but the stones were seductive in their own way; reminding him that they could heal the world – they could heal the universe – and Peter had acquiesced in a split second._

_The universe was his. _

_He felt himself fading, knew he was dying, but it was alright. It was worth everything to him to keep it safe. To heal it._

_He felt Alec in his mind, cushioning him, and then felt the cloak's solid presence, as well, and then he didn't feel anything._

OOOOOOOOO

Tony and Pepper both looked up when Natasha walked into the room. She wasn't surprised that they were awake; it was after nine in the morning, but she was a little surprised Peter was still asleep – and then noticed how tired all three of them looked.

"How's it going?" she asked, walking over to the boy's right side and looking down at him – over Tony,

"Rough night," came the reply, even as Pepper brushed a hand along their son's forehead. "He was restless."

"Dreams," Tony said. He wasn't guessing; Peter had woken them with his restlessness and had told them – of course, he hadn't been completely coherent, so they couldn't be sure how much of what they'd been told was what had really _happened_. "Mostly about a bright light trying to kill him, and May sitting in the park with him."

"Stephen gave him painkillers?"

Pain medication would explain some of the dreams. Peter's own mind almost certainly provided the rest – especially if May was involved.

"A mild general one," Tony confirmed. "And then a local shot to keep his hand from keeping him awake all night."

"Poor baby." She turned her attention from the boy to the adults. "Go get some rest," she told them. "I'll keep him company."

"Shuri will be by, today," Pepper said, not arguing with Romanoff. It wouldn't do any good to even try, she knew. And if she trusted anyone with Peter while she wasn't with him, it was Natasha. She looked at her watch. "Probably sometime around lunch."

"We'll be back by then."

"Take your time," the assassin replied. She settled herself on Peter's left, in the spot Pepper had vacated. "Stephen is going to come check on him in a little while, so you guys will know the very latest by the time you're rested and ready to hang out with him."

"He hasn't had breakfast," Tony said, taking Pepper's hand in his.

"I'll take care of it."

Or Stephen would when he arrived.

They left and Natasha scooted just a little closer, until she had her hip right beside Peter's sleeping form. Sure enough, he responded to her presence, automatically, and his left hand pressed against her, the right still tucked protectively in the sling and somewhat between them, now. He mumbled something in his sleep but didn't quite wake up. Then he settled once more and was still.

She brushed her fingers through his hair, checking for fever – it was always their biggest concern with him, after all – but his skin was cool to the touch.

"Go to sleep, baby," she crooned, gently.

Then she pulled her tablet out and started watching the video of the alien dog crashing into Peter's quarters, once more trying to figure out what the hell happened off camera.

OOOOOOO

The same restlessness that had kept him up most of the night woke him only half an hour later. Natasha had felt him tensing beside her and had long since put her tablet aside, focusing on him when he opened his eyes, looking up at her owlishly.

"Hey…"

His voice was soft, but he sounded fairly lucid – even in that one word.

"Hey, yourself," she said by way of greeting. "How's my favorite guy?"

Peter smiled at that.

"_Stephen_?"

Which made her smile.

"He's a close second."

Peter yawned and stretched as well as he could with one arm completely immobilized and the other underneath his body with only the hand free and pressed against her.

"Sleepy. Where's Tony and Pepper?"

"Hopefully sleeping, themselves, by now. They'll be back."

The boy nodded and shifted just enough to rest his cheek on her belly, knowing that she wouldn't mind and definitely in the mood to cuddle a little.

"You're okay?"

"Yes. And you will be, too."

He nodded.

"It doesn't hurt too much."

She didn't believe that.

"Stephen will be by in a while to check you out. We'll make sure it doesn't hurt, at all, if we can. Yeah?"

"Yeah." He sighed; a somewhat contented sound and realized that the items on the stand by his bed were still on the stand by his bed. "Where's Nutmeg?"

"Last I saw, Carol had him. Steve's started debriefs on the battle, and he wanted to start with Nutmeg and Jack, since _they_ are part of the biggest mystery in the compound, right now."

"What mystery?" he asked, curiously, turning his head to look up at her.

With the stack of pillows propping them up, it wasn't too difficult.

Natasha smirked, and reached for her tablet.

"Sit up a little, baby, and watch the video."

He did as he was told, and she felt his body tense when he saw the creature smash through his door, and he looked toward his living room, automatically, even though it was obviously gone, now. A confused noise when they both watched the kitten and half-grown lab leave his room minutes later, unhurried and clearly intact.

"That's weird."

"What does Alec say?" she asked, curiously.

"_That's weird,"_ came the reply in Peter's mind.

"He thinks it's weird, too."

"If we brought Nutmeg in here, could Alec get into his head and see what happened?"

It was obvious that the superspy was going crazy not knowing. Peter felt an amused chuckle from the ancient sorcerer, and an echo of that amusement from the cloak.

"_It doesn't work that way. I'm not the kitty whisperer; animals are different than people. Even different kinds of aliens are similar enough I can get into their minds. Animals are on a different level."_

"He says no," Peter said, smiling an apology.

"Damn."

"_Incoming call from MJ,"_ Karen suddenly announced before Natasha could do more than scowl at the continuation of the mystery.

The assassin smiled, too, and reached over to the stand, picking up Peter's cell and handing it to him, before shifting out from under him.

"I think I need to check my hair," she told him, making the first excuse she could to give him some privacy for the call. "I'll be back in a minute."

Peter wasn't fooled, and it showed, but he did smile.

"Thanks, Natasha."

He answered the phone, activating the video capabilities to make it a video call instead of just voice, and saw MJ on the high-tech display. Clear enough that he could see that she looked worried – although she _did_ smile, slightly, when she saw him.

"_Hi. Ned said that you were back home."_

"Hey." He frowned. "Home from where?"

She shrugged.

"_We thought that you might have been sent to Wakanda. You know, to keep you safe from whatever it was that happened at the compound. With all the aliens attacking."_

Oh. He hesitated, uncertain what had been revealed, and who knew it, and feeling very much out of the loop, just then.

"No. There wasn't time," he told her. "It all happened too quickly."

"_Ned said you were hurt?"_

"Oh. Yeah. Just my hand. And my arm. A _little_."

MJ frowned.

"_Let me see."_

He tilted his phone toward the damaged arm, still in the sling, and clearly wrapped in a mass of bandages from the hand up to his shoulder.

"_A little, huh?"_

"It looks worse than it is," he lied – poorly.

She didn't believe him.

"_Why didn't you get healed by the light that healed everyone else?"_ she asked, suddenly. _"My mom's broken thumb healed instantly – and Bobby Clairmont's cancer was cleared out. He was actually back in school, yesterday."_ There was no hiding how amazed she was by the happenings that had been going on, but she had once again proven that she wasn't stupid – and was extremely observant. _"What happened that _you_ were left out?"_

Peter froze, unable to think of a good reason at the drop of a hat. He wasn't very good at improvising and he knew it. Worse, so did she.

"I… maybe it's my alter-ego…"

MJ didn't look convinced about that, either. For that matter, Peter decided that she looked annoyed – and then somewhat resigned.

"_Have I mentioned how tiring it is, worrying about you all the time, and wondering what you aren't telling me?"_

Peter felt a stab of consternation.

"It's-"

"_I have to go, Peter,"_ she said, interrupting. Now she looked more annoyed than anything. _"I have to get to class."_

"Yeah. Okay." He hesitated, because there was something in her tone and her expression that had a finality to it that made his chest hurt a little. "I'll talk to you, later?"

"_I don't know. Maybe."_ She looked confused, too. "_Get better, okay?"_

"Right."

He started to say something – maybe apologize – but the call ended and the screen went black.

Peter sighed and leaned over to set his phone on the stand, again, then closed his eyes.

"Everything alright?" Natasha asked from the doorway.

He opened his eyes and shook his head.

"I think MJ just broke up with me…"


	84. Chapter 84

Awww.

Natasha frowned, allowing Peter to see her distress at that particular idea. Not because she was surprised; MJ was a nice young woman, and seemingly a good fit for Peter since they went to the same school, were on the academic decathlon team and she was actually smart enough to keep up with Peter (which was important in a relationship with someone intelligent) but she didn't like worrying about the boy, and didn't like seeing him in situations that he might get hurt. _Especially_ the Spiderman thing. Romanoff knew MJ would prefer that Peter was a normal kid (as normal as the son of a billionaire who hung out with avengers could be) and definitely didn't like him being a superhero – even a neophyte one.

And that was impossible with Peter. Being Spiderman was too much a part of him.

"Are you sure?"

"No," he admitted, looking somewhat defeated. "But it sounded like it. I think." He'd never been dumped, before, after all. "She said she's tired of not knowing what I'm not telling her…"

Natasha walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Did she ask you what happened?"

"No. She asked if I was hurt, because Ned told her that I was – and then when I told her that I was, she wanted to know why I'm the only person on the planet that the light didn't heal."

Again, proof that MJ was intelligent, because she'd picked up on Peter being injured when no one else was.

"And you obviously couldn't tell her the truth about that."

"No. I know." He sighed. "I was trying to keep her from worrying, but she got that look that she gets and then she said that she had to go."

"I'm sorry, baby…" Romanoff told him, brushing his bangs back. "Maybe she just needs some time to get over the worry."

He shrugged, one-shouldered.

"She didn't sound worried. She sounded _mad_. And done."

Before Natasha could reply – or think of anything to say to reassure him – there was a light tap on the door frame and Strange walked in, looking at the two on the bed. He seemed to realize that something was going on, almost immediately, because instead of telling them good morning, he simply walked over to the side of the bed (the same side as Natasha) and looked down at his patient.

"Everything alright?"

"Peter had a call from MJ," she told him. "It's _complicated_."

The doctor motioned for her to move so he could check the boy out.

"Women are complicated, in general," he assured the boy. "_Teenaged girls_ are even more so. Tony tells me you didn't sleep very well last night?"

"I had a lot of dreams."

"How much pain?"

"Some…" he said, evasively.

"One to ten? And be honest, or I'm going to send you back to the medlab."

Stephen wasn't above being brisk with Peter (or anyone else) when it was necessary, after all. He was good at it.

"Seven."

"The nano-things don't help with the pain?" Natasha asked the doctor, taking Peter's good hand and ignoring the way both of them rolled their eyes at the nanotech being called _things_.

"No. For that matter, they _could_ be increasing it. They're rebuilding nerves as well as healing the flesh, after all. Impressive technology, but not perfect, yet."

"It mostly just aches," Peter told him. "It's not like a sharp, stabbing, pain."

"Well, I'd prefer you get as much rest as possible, and that means you aren't hurting too much to sleep. You look tired."

"I _feel_ tired."

"Let's get you on your feet and fed, then we'll see if a local can ease the ache enough to allow you some real sleep."

He didn't mention that when he'd seen Tony, Stark had looked tired, too – and had promptly been sent off to bed.

"I don't really feel like getting up," Peter told him, and his tone was more depressed than anything, if Strange was any judge of such things. "Maybe later…?"

"You have to eat," Natasha said.

"I know. In _here_, though. Please?"

Strange hesitated, and then shrugged his acceptance. He wasn't a fan of being told no, really, but he'd let it go this time. He wasn't sure what he had missed, but Peter didn't look happy, and if it had something to do with the phone call from MJ, then he probably needed a little gentle handling and some latitude. Another reason the sorcerer was grateful that he wasn't sixteen, again. Dating a superspy assassin was tricky. Relationships with a teenaged girl simply ridiculously complicated, as he'd said.

"Sure. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Anything."

"Peter…"

Natasha wasn't going to make Stephen guess.

"Oatmeal."

"Sounds good." And it would be easy enough to eat with one hand. A tray appeared on the bed, beside Natasha. Oatmeal just the way Peter liked it best, a glass of juice and a plate with sausages. "Eat that. I want to talk to my nurse for a moment about expectations for today."

The boy sat up and the cloak moved away from him, not wanting to risk being splattered by any awkward one-handed eating. As Peter reached for the spoon, Natasha got to her feet with an encouraging smile.

"We'll be right back, okay?"

"Yeah."

He knew she was going to tell Stephen what had happened, but he didn't care. It didn't matter if everyone knew, and he supposed it would save him the trouble of trying to explain something that he didn't understand, himself.

OOOOOOO

"Anything I need to know?" Strange asked as the two walked into the hallway and closed the brand-new door behind them.

"He thinks MJ broke up with him."

"Did she?"

"I wasn't listening to the conversation," she admitted. Now she wished that she had. Not to be nosy, but to know how best to comfort Peter. "It might just be him over thinking things."

"Well, we'll want to keep an eye on him." Not that that was really an issue; Peter was at the foremost of the avenger's thoughts most of the time – and not just Pepper and Tony. He had a dozen aunts and uncles who always seemed aware of where he was and what he was doing. Strange knew that he and Wong were part of that group, too. "The timing really couldn't be worse. A little teen-aged angst is fine, unless you're already reeling from a crippling injury and who-knows-what mental strain this whole thing has put him through. I don't want him having any chance of falling into depression."

Natasha nodded.

"I'm going to spend the morning with him. Maybe I'll have Bruce stop by. He can show Peter his new trick."

"Oh?"

She smiled, looking surprised.

"You didn't hear?"

"No. What is it?"

"Oh, no, honey. I'm not going to spoil the surprise. You can come by and see it for yourself."

The sorcerer rolled his eyes; he didn't like surprises any more than she did – and she knew it. Which was why she was smirking, now. But he let her have her fun at his expense. She was adorable when she was gloating.

"I'm going to keep the bandages that he has on, now, in place for a few days to allow the nanites to work uninterrupted. Then we'll have Doctor Thompson take a look at the hand to see how it's progressing. If it looks good, we'll call in a specialist to decide what the next step is for the hand – as far as therapy."

"You'll tell Tony and Pepper?"

"When they wake up, yes."

"I'll stay with him and keep him company while he eats. Is he cleared to get out of bed, then?"

"If you can get him to, I'd prefer it. The sun's shining, why don't you find a couple of lounge chairs and sit by the edge of the field for a while? Get some fresh air."

She smiled. That was a great idea, really. And if Peter was willing, they only really _needed_ one chair.

OOOO

Getting him out of bed was the first start. And the biggest challenge, Natasha found.

When Peter was finished eating, he vanished into the bathroom, awkwardly trying to handle taking care of everything one-handed. He definitely wasn't going to ask Natasha for help, and Stephen had gone to take care of a few things, taking the cloak with him – which meant that he was leaving the compound.

Then he'd gone back to his bed and pulled the blankets up over his head, completely, clearly planning to spend the rest of his day right where he was. When Natasha sat on the edge of his bed, and suggested they go for a walk, he'd mentioned – without uncovering his head – that he was tired.

Romanoff hadn't been deterred. He could be stubborn, she knew, but _she_ was pretty stubborn, too – and neither of them could say no to the other and mean it. At the moment, she was more than willing to use that connection that they had. Especially since it was for his own good.

"Please, baby?" she said, softly, resting her hand on the blanket – somewhere around his shoulder. "I want your company."

She didn't hear the sigh, but she felt his shoulder raise and lower, and a moment later he pulled the blanket off and eased himself upright.

"Not for long, though?"

"We'll go outside," she told him, smiling gently. "And get some sun."

He nodded his willingness – reluctant though it was – and she helped him get his shoes on, since there was no way he was going to be able to tie them with only one hand. Then the two of them walked slowly toward the exit that led to the field. By the time they went through the door, Peter was ready to sit down, and there was a lounge chair conveniently set up right on the edge of the grass, with a pile of blankets, even though the day was nice and there was only the slightest breeze.

It didn't take a genius to figure the thing was a set up, and Peter wasn't stupid. Luckily, he was also more than willing to spend the day with Natasha, since he knew Pepper and Tony were safe and getting much-needed rest.

"You're sneaky…" he told her, sitting down on the edge of the lounger.

She shrugged and gave him her best innocent expression, her eyes twinkling with amusement that she didn't bother to hide.

"Me?"

The assassin settled in the chaise lounge, and then helped ease Peter down beside her. He turned onto his left side a little, tucking his sling between them to protect his hand which she pulled the blankets over them.

"Hurts?" she asked, pressing a kiss against his temple.

"No. I'm okay."

He _was_, too. Girl troubles forgotten for the moment, replaced by Natasha's protective embrace, Peter closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately. Natasha took a little longer, and just as she drifted off, she felt the cloak adding its heavy warmth to the blankets as it joined them, as well. Stephen had returned to the compound, clearly. She stayed awake a moment, to see if he would make an appearance, but when he didn't, she allowed herself to go to sleep, too.

Peter was a good cuddler, after all, and she would never pass up the chance to spend time with him. Eventually there would come a time when he wouldn't be so willing, and she had to take advantage of those times while she could.


	85. Chapter 85

"Hey, Peter…"

The soft voice woke him from gentle dreams that were almost certainly a product of the mind stone. Planets floating in space, people (and weird looking creatures of all kinds) seeing a brilliant light rushing toward them; bracing for the worst that could happen and rejoicing instead when the light enveloped their world and then moved on, leaving a population of healed and soothed souls in its wake.

He mumbled a denial; it was a _good_ dream and he didn't want to wake from it, but the voice spoke, again, and he sleepily realized that it was Bruce.

"Hey, Peter… wake up a minute."

He turned his head from Natasha's collarbone and opened his eyes. And only the fact that he was pinned snugly against her and one of the arms of the chair kept him from tumbling off the lounge chair in surprise. A jolt of fear went through him, replaced immediately by the knowledge that he was safe – despite the huge green face that was blocking the warm afternoon sun and staring down at him. He heard Natasha chuckle beside him, and he sat up a little, ignoring the stabbing pain from his hand at the motion.

The Hulk was crouched down beside the lounge chair he was sharing with Natasha, but the expression on the ugly face was calm and amused. He'd never seen the Hulk in person, before, but he'd seen enough videos and still images to know that the expression was completely out of place. As was the gleam of good humor in the green-tinged eyes that were waiting for his acknowledgement.

"Bruce?"

"Yeah, Peter." The voice was almost Bruce's but a mixture of something else, too. As if Bruce's voice was deepened and then tossed into a huge echo chamber to allow it to be somewhat amplified. "It's me."

"_Oh, my…"_ Alec said, softly in the boy's head. "_That's amazing."_

Whether he meant the transformation in the first place, or the fact that the Hulk wasn't ripping the building next to them into pieces, Peter didn't know. He didn't reply, though. Instead, he sat up a little more, realizing that Natasha was, too.

"How did you do that?" the boy asked, noticing that Tony and Pepper were standing nearby with Stephen but that none of them looked concerned to see the green monster loose. Tony wasn't even wearing a partial version of his suit like Peter knew that he would if he was concerned. "You're Hulked out."

The grin alone would have been enough to frighten a casual observer, and Bruce couldn't help himself; he wrapped those giant arms around Peter and hugged him – including by default Natasha and the cloak, which grumbled irritably in Peter's mind, but didn't zap the monster that was carefully holding the boy in a hug that lasted several long moments before he pulled away, looking pleased.

"I know, right? It was that light. It did something to me – and to the other guy. He's still a part of me, but we're in sync, now, instead of at odds. I can be him anytime I want."

"You don't need to get angry?" Stephen asked, as the cloak flittered from Peter's shoulders to find the sorcerer's collar, instead.

He was obviously witnessing the transformation for the first time, as well – and was just as fascinated.

"Nope." The was a brief pause, and then the giant frame morphed back into Bruce. It was horrifying to watch, but only lasted a moment, and then Bruce Banner was standing in front of them, pale skin on his chest and belly mute testament to the complete change – and the fact that he definitely needed to figure out a better wardrobe. "I'm cured. Or fixed. Or whatever you want to call it."

"Wow…"

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"It's awesome."

"I owe it all to you," Bruce told him – refraining from hugging hi, again, although it looked like he really wanted to. "Thank you."

Peter blushed, but the adults were all pleased to see the cheer in his brown eyes at the happiness in his friend.

"I didn't really do anything," the boy told him. "I mean, I didn't try to make the light. It just happened."

"Steve and I want to talk to you about what actually _did_ happen," Tony said, speaking up for the first time. "Not right now, but when you're feeling better. We want to get your side of the story – since it's probably the most interesting."

"Oh. Yeah. Sure."

"Let's go get some lunch," Pepper suggested.

She didn't ask if he was hungry to give him a chance to say no – or a chance to retreat right away back into his bedroom. Stephen had told her and Tony about the call from MJ – as well as he understood what had happened, anyway – and had suggested that they keep their son as active as his health would allow. To keep him from having a chance to think too much.

Tony had just the response, apparently, and even Strange had to admit that seeing the Incredible Hulk in the flesh had probably been plenty of distraction. Now to keep the momentum rolling and keep him engaged with the others – rather than under the blankets. Of course, there was going to be a completely _new_ distraction in a half hour, or so, Stephen knew – since he was going to bring her to the compound, himself.

Shuri would probably be disappointed to miss Bruce's demonstration, but there was such a thing as too much stimulation – especially when Peter was still hurting as badly as he had to be. Better to have them come in stages, and allow him to get over one before the next showed up on their doorstep, proverbially.

Besides, he was fairly certain that Doctor Banner was going to be willing to change, again, for them to see. And because he'd want to rest his control more than the few times that he already had.

Peter nodded, and Tony stepped forward to pull his son to his feet, carefully. Peter looked down at Natasha, who was stretching, lazily, but hadn't gotten up, yet.

"Coming?"

"Nope. I'm going to go take care of a few things, first, now that I've had such a good nap. I'll catch up with you guys, later."

A shirt and a pair of pants suddenly appeared in Strange's hands and he handed them over to Banner, who smiled, appreciatively as he took them.

"Thanks."

"We'll be in the lounge," Tony told the others.

He didn't need to thank any of them; they already knew that he appreciated all that they'd done for Peter. They'd have some kind of group wide event to celebrate – maybe a huge barbeque with the Wakandans, Asgard and some (but not all) of the military folks who had helped out. It would be a good way to celebrate the fact that they'd won and watching Stephen bitch and moan about eating outside would be yet another enjoyable distraction for Peter.

And for him, of course.

"How does the hand feel?" Tony asked, allowing Pepper to walk on Peter's left, so she could put her arm around the boy.

He didn't mind just being close.

"It's not bad," Peter assured him. "It hurt when I woke up, earlier, but Stephen gave me a shot."

"Yeah?" Tony knew that; he'd been given a full report from the surgeon before they'd gone outside to wake him. "Make sure you tell someone when it starts to wear off."

"I will."

They walked in comfortable silence and reached the lounge only a few minutes later. Peter smiled when he saw Groot sitting at a table with Rocket, but none of the other guardians were present. Rather than go to the usual corner table, Tony led his little family over to join them.

"Hey," Rocket greeted them, looking at all of them, but his eyes stopping at Peter. "I heard you were out of the fish tank. How do you feel?"

Peter wasn't offended, or annoyed. How does one get made at a talking raccoon? It was still novel enough that he really only wanted to pet him – although he knew Rocket wouldn't approve, even without a heads up from Alec.

"I'm alright. You guys?"

"I am groot."

"I'm fine, too." The racoon had a drink in front of him, and the remains of their lunch was on the table. "It was touch and go for a while, there."

"Yes." Pepper seated herself next to Rocket, and Tony and Peter took the other empty chairs. "Where are the others?"

"Quill is off talking to some of the military guys. Drax is helping with repairs; they needed someone bulkier than me, and Gamora and Mantis are on the ship trying to calm Sirah down."

"What's wrong with Sirah?" Tony asked before Pepper could.

Peter didn't know who they were talking about until Alec – and the mind stone – both gave him a mental nudge and an image of the alien girl from the small spaceship that he'd taken to the safehouse with him and had handed over to Ned for safe keeping.

"She's afraid," Rocket said. "Quill mentioned taking her back to her master and she freaked out, because she's pretty sure he's going to punish her for losing the reality stone. Or maybe kill her, outright for allowing Peter, here, to have it at all."

Peter frowned.

"He can't do that."

"I am groot."

Rocket didn't bother to translate what Groot said. He shrugged.

"The dude's ancient. He does what he wants. Especially when it comes to his own world. He's pretty much the boss."

Now it was Tony's turn to frown, because he hadn't missed the way Peter had reacted.

"We're not going to worry about that, right now," he said, firmly. "But she's not going to be punished – or killed for helping Peter. If this person wants to discuss retribution, we'll sit him down and talk to him."

They had plenty of experience with matters of honor and retribution, now didn't they?

"That's what Gamora told her," Rocket agreed. "And then she pointed out that if the Collector gives Sirah a hard time, we just need to point Peter, here, at him and remind him who killed Thanos and his army – and what a mess the power stone might make of his collection."

Tony glanced at Peter, hoping the phrasing wasn't going to upset the boy, but Peter shook his head, not seeming to be distressed at the reminder of what happened.

"I'm not going to let him hurt her," he said, resolutely. "But I don't need the power stone to prove that point to him." He'd never unleash that kind of power, again, if he had a choice. "I have some friends with some pretty specialized abilities."

And he knew all their spells, if he needed to use them.

"Let's eat," Pepper said. "We'll worry about this Collector guy when the time comes."

She wasn't worried about him, either, though, and it showed.


	86. Chapter 86

"Maybe you should have had a _corndog_?"

Peter rolled his eyes, ignoring Tony's amused snort at Rocket's suggestion.

"Cute."

The racoon's expressive face was amused, and Groot made a noise that was obviously a chuckle.

"I am groot?"

Peter just shook his head.

"What did he say?" Pepper asked Rocket.

"Asked if they made burgers on a stick."

Peter had wanted something more substantial than soup or other invalid fare. He was in the lounge, after all, and not in his bed. So when the server had asked, he had requested a burger with fries. And had valiantly tried to eat it with one hand, struggling in vain to keep his tomatoes from slipping out the other end of the bun and losing everything and not just the tomatoes in the process.

"Don't listen to them, son," Tony told him – also clearly amused by the mess that was on Peter's plate. "You're doing fine."

"If the goal was a juxtaposition of various dressings, vegetables and meat smeared on a plate…" came Stephen's wry observation – making them all look up. "Then, yes, he's doing smashing."

The doctor had entered the room without any of them noticing (even Peter, who was distracted by his efforts) and even more, he wasn't alone. Shuri was with him, dressed in her t-shirt and jeans and holding Tony's piglet – who was wearing a sweater that Peter hadn't seen before.

Tony smiled, standing up.

"Hey! _There's_ my boy."

He went over and brushed a kiss against Shuri's cheek as he reached for Ironpig, taking him from her arms in a smooth motion while Stephen pulled a chair out for the princess.

"I thought _I_ was his boy…?" Peter muttered to Pepper.

"_You're_ his boy that doesn't smell like _bacon_," she assured him, smirking.

She brushed her fingers through his hair, so happy to have him in one piece and where she could touch him.

"Don't you listen to her, little man," Tony said, making a show of holding his hand over the piglet's ears. "You don't smell like bacon. Daddy would _never_ eat you."

"You do remember that those little kids gave him to me, right?" the boy reminded Tony. "Technically, I'm his daddy. You're _grandpa_."

"_You_ tried giving him away…" Tony pointed out, winking at Pepper and then turning his attention back to his piglet.

Peter rolled his eyes, and then smiled at Shuri, who was watching him, intently.

"How do you feel?" she asked without preamble.

"I'm okay."

"Should he be out of bed so soon?" she asked Strange. "It has only been a few days from the chamber."

"He's fine," she was assured. "We're keeping a close eye on him."

"We have some strategically placed chairs in the corridors, right now," Tony told her, still crooning to the pig. "If he gets tired, he can sit down anywhere, now."

"I'm fine," Peter said, giving up on the burger and wondering if he could talk Tony into taking him down the road for a corndog. "Is that a new sweater?" he asked, changing the subject and gesturing to the piglet.

He was already on the outs with MJ for making _her_ worry about him, the last thing he wanted was for Shuri to get tired of it, too.

She smiled.

"Mother made it for him. I do not think she wanted to let Tony have him back. She suggested that he would not notice if she substituted a different piglet for his."

Tony pretended to be scandalized.

"Think she'd notice if we sent _Rocket_ home to her and kept you?"

The girl smiled at the racoon, still amazed at what she was seeing when she looked at him, but over the shock enough that she was able to tease.

"I think she would _prefer_ it, sometimes."

"I am groot."

Peter snorted, and he and Groot both snickered. Rocket rolled his eyes.

"Well?" Pepper asked. "Do I even _want_ to know?"

The racoon shook his head.

"He's young," Rocket said, giving Groot a sidelong glance that only made Peter and the tree laugh. "And he _thinks_ he's funny. He said she wouldn't notice the difference because _I_ already act like a princess."

He wasn't even annoyed at being the butt of the joke. Groot was his friend – _more_ than that, even – and he had to admit (only to himself) that he rather liked these people that they'd found themselves involved with. The Avengers seemed to be good people – although they were as varied as the guardians, themselves were – and even better, they had access to some serious hardware.

Rocket loved that.

"You are welcomed to come for a visit, sometime," Shuri told the racoon – _and_ the tree. Then she turned her attention back to Peter. "Mother sends her love and a formal thank you for what you did for Wakanda. When you have a chance, she would like you to come visit."

"She could have come with you," Tony pointed out. "She knows that, right? That she's welcome here?"

Shuri smiled.

"She does not like the portal – and is not fond of flying."

"Let her know that we'll come out for a visit as soon as we can," Pepper told her. "How long are you staying?"

The young princess rolled her eyes, this time.

"My brother says I must not wear out my welcome and to tell you that you may toss me back through the portal whenever you are tired of listening to me prattle." She smiled at Tony's amusement at the phrasing. "Princesses do not prattle, for the record. We _elucidate_."

"You're welcome to stick around and elucidate as much as you'd like," Stark assured her.

She'd be good company for Peter since they didn't dare allow Ned out, just yet; he wasn't a restful visitor – and MJ was probably going to be a topic for a later discussion, but not someone that he'd want at the compound, just then. Only because they needed to keep Peter positive – to help him through the injury – and constantly worrying about his relationship status with the girl wasn't going to create the relaxing atmosphere that Tony wanted for his son at that moment.

Shuri smiled.

"Thank you." She turned to the mess on Peter's plate. "Is that your lunch?"

"It's the remains of it, yes."

"We were discussing the merits of burgers on a stick when you guys walked in," Rocket told her.

The girl's expression brightened, and she looked at Peter.

"Is that a thing?"

He shook his head.

"No. But I think I'm better off with a corndog, or something, just now."

"We could probably do better than that," Pepper assured him. "You're doing fine, though; it will just take a little practice and some patience."

"Hopefully by the time you're good at it, we'll have you out of the sling," Strange told him. "I'm going to want my stone back, after all."

"I can give it back to you, now," Peter replied, realizing that all the stones were still inside the polymorph. Alec confirmed it. "Where did the polymorph end up?"

"In the safe in our quarters," Tony said. He frowned, though. "Maybe you should wait to expose yourself to that much power until you're feeling a little better…"

"Vision's still out of commission, though, right?" Peter asked, feeling guilty.

He should have offered, sooner. Wanda had to be so worried.

"It will need to wait until your hand is out of the sling and the bandages," Shuri told him.

"I can handle them. If I only pull one out at a time."

Shuri smiled, her hand covering his good one for a moment.

"I do not doubt that. However, the polymorph is attuned to your right hand. And _only_ your right hand. It will not open for you if you try to use your left."

"Oh."

"Vision is fine where he is," Tony told his son. "And Wanda is in the workroom with him, wearing the Rescue helmet so they can communicate. It's not ideal, but she says they're comfortable, for now. The stones can wait until you're healthier."

"I agree," Stephen told him.

"What are you going to do with the rest of them?" Rocket asked, curiously. "You're sitting on the most powerful things in the universe, after all. You really want to give that up?'

Peter hadn't had a chance to think about it, but he didn't need to, really.

"They aren't mine to keep," he told Rocket – and the others. "Vision needs the mind stone, and the time stone is Stephen's."

"To guard, not to keep," Strange interjected.

"Right. The others need to be returned where I found them. That much power shouldn't be in one place."

It would definitely be too tempting. Not to mention, it would put a giant target on the compound if someone like Thanos ever decided to make a play for them.

He looked over at Stephen, who nodded his agreement.

"Too true. But I can wait until your hand is well enough to manage the polymorph." He changed the subject. "Finish your lunch. Then I want you back in your bed for a while."

"I haven't been up that long."

"Long enough. Believe me."

"But-"

"Just do what I say, Peter," he told the boy, more amused than annoyed. "You'll thank me when you're not dragging tonight."

Peter scowled, but he didn't argue. He looked at Tony, who was making faces at Ironpig, but still listening in on the conversation.

"Too much to hope that you'll take me to get a corndog?"

"Too far to take you without your doctor signing off on it," Tony told him, glancing at Strange, who shook his head.

"Not a chance. I'll walk you back to your room."

And by the time they arrived, there would be a small stack of corndogs waiting for Peter. The boy shrugged, looking at Shuri and the others.

"Guess I'm going back to bed for a while."

He was sore and tired, so his protest was really more for appearances than anything. And because Tony would have – and he spent a lot of time with him.

"We'll be in to check on you in a few minutes," Pepper told him.

"Okay."

He and Strange left, and the others watched.

"He's really alright?" Rocket asked.

"He isn't, yet," Tony said. "But he will be. If we can keep him from overdoing things before he's ready."

"You have had plenty of experience with that," Shuri said.

"True."


	87. Chapter 87

Peter had to stop once on the way to his room to rest, and Strange frowned down at his young patient.

"Tired? Or in pain?"

"Mostly just tired, I think," he said, leaning against the wall in the corridor and closing his eyes against a wave of dizziness that was either from being tired, or maybe from the shooting pain that ran the length of his arm into his hand. "Don't tell Tony and Pepper, alright? I'm okay."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little."

Strange wasn't fooled.

"A _lot_?"

"Yeah. But it's no big deal, okay? I'll just go to bed and sleep it off."

"From what I understand it's most likely the healing process itself that is causing you the most pain," Stephen told him, stepping forward and putting a hand on Peter's good elbow. An instant later they were standing in the boy's quarters, beside his bed. "We can up the painkillers and see if it helps."

"It _won't_." Peter shook his head as he eased to the bed, gratefully. "Thanks, though."

"It won't hurt to give it a try. If nothing else, it'll help you sleep."

The boy nodded, and sighed.

"This isn't _really_ the best time for me to be hurt, you know."

"Is there _ever_ a good time?"

"No. But Homecoming is tomorrow and there's no way I'll be able to go – even if I had someone to go with."

Ah. That explained it. And why Peter's expressive eyes looked so unhappy – injuries aside. Not only was he missing a dance – and Strange knew the boy enjoyed dancing and every occasion that he'd had to do it since he'd learned how – but he was still thinking about the call from MJ.

"It's important that you try to keep positive about things, Peter," Strange told him, seriously. The boy was old enough to be told why, and Strange knew he would respond better if he didn't feel like they were coddling him – even though the Avengers _absolutely_ were going to continue to do just that. "Depression is a real concern for us in this instance. You're hurting, and miserable, and – _literally_ – the only injured person on the planet for a short time. But you need to remember what you did to become injured; you saved countless lives – half of the universe, even. You should be proud of yourself."

"I didn't want to save them all," Peter admitted, looking away. "I was just thinking of you guys."

Which made the surgeon smile, slightly.

"It doesn't matter, really. The vast majority of those that you saved are never even going to know your name. _You_ know that, and it's to your credit that you're alright with it. Don't worry about the dance; there'll be others, I assure you. And don't worry about the rest of it, either," he added, specifically not mentioning names. "That kind of thing straightens themselves out, eventually."

Peter didn't look convinced, but he nodded rather than argue.

"Yeah. I'll try."

"Good." Strange was bemused to once more find himself in a position where he was counseling a teenager. It wasn't a role that he'd ever have imagined for himself – but he'd go out of his comfort zone to do what he could to make things easier for Peter, if he could. "Get comfortable. I expect Pepper and Tony will be in shortly to keep you company."

"Thank you."

A syringe was in Stephen's hand, then, and he administered a shot of a local pain medication quickly and with the competence of someone who had done just that a million times.

"If it doesn't help let me know."

"Yeah. I will." _Maybe_. "Thanks, again."

The sorcerer winked, and suddenly there was a tray beside Peter on the bed. It held half a dozen perfectly made corndogs, a bag of potato chips that he knew Peter liked and a platter of French fries.

"You're welcome. Eat something."

The doctor left and Peter got himself under the blankets before dragging the tray awkwardly over his lap and then picking up one of the corndogs.

"Karen? Will you call Ned, please?"

OOOOOOOO

It took them longer to get back to Peter's room than they'd intended. Steve and Carol walked into the room with Natasha and made a beeline for the table with Tony and Pepper.

"How's Peter?" Carol asked, curiously, as Steve and Natasha both smiled a greeting to Shuri, always pleased to see the girl.

"You just missed him," Tony told them all. "He had lunch – sort of – and Stephen just took him back to his rooms to get some rest."

"He's out of bed, already?" Steve asked, frowning. "Is that a good idea?"

"Stephen is keeping an eye on him," Stark assured him. "He's definitely limiting him for now."

"How is his hand?"

"Still waiting to see how that is going. Looks promising, though."

"If you have a minute," Steve said. "We'd like your debrief. You and Pepper, both. To get it out of the way."

Tony hesitated, and they all knew why.

"I'll go stay with Peter until you're done," Natasha offered.

The billionaire looked at Pepper, who shrugged, leaving it up to him, and then he nodded.

"Sure." He turned to Shuri. "Don't leave the compound, right?"

"I won't," she assured him.

"We'll keep an eye on her," Rocket offered.

"I am groot."

The princess rolled her eyes, good-naturedly, and that made several of the adults smile.

"Thanks." Tony looked at Natasha. "If he's still awake, just let him know we'll get there as soon as we can."

"I will."

She turned and left the room, and a moment later Tony and Pepper did the same with Steve and Carol.

"Have they already debriefed you?" Shuri asked Rocket, curiously.

"Yeah."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

The racoon narrowed his eyes, suspiciously.

"Are you _supposed_ to know?"

She smiled; disarmingly charming and shrugged.

"I am _here_, am I not? They did not put any restriction on me – aside from the general safety one to stay on the premise. Clearly I am not a threat to their security."

"True."

OOOOOOOOO

Peter was sitting up in his bed when Natasha walked into his room. He was alone, there was a tray with corndogs across his lap – proof that Stephen had almost certainly been the one to supply them – and he was in a conference call with Ned. She smiled, looking at the large flat screen television mounted on the wall at the bottom of Peter's bed. Rather than forcing him to need to hold his phone, Tony had had the TV set up for conference calling with Karen, and Ned's cheerful countenance looked back at her when she came into view.

"_HI, Natasha."_

She settled next to Peter – on his left side – and picked a corndog from his plate before returning the greeting.

"Hey, Ned. How are you?"

"_Good. Thanks."_

Peter had a corndog in his good hand, too, and he looked at her before gesturing with the corndog toward the screen.

"Will you please tell him that he needs to go to homecoming and that it's stupid that he doesn't go just because I'm not going to be there?"

"You're not going to homecoming, Ned?" Natasha asked, curiously.

"_I was thinking that I'd skip it. You know, since Peter can't come. It wouldn't be fair, really."_

"Except that you asked Bonnie, and that means that _she_ wouldn't get to go, either," Peter pointed out. "_That_ wouldn't be fair to her."

He looked at Natasha who nodded.

"He's right. You can't stand up a date if there isn't a good reason."

"She wouldn't mind."

"It wouldn't be fair," Peter repeated. "Besides, someone has to be there to tell me what happened and what I missed."

He wasn't quite able to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but while Natasha caught it, Ned missed it. The other boy shrugged.

"_Fine, I'll go. But it won't be the same without you."_

"Yeah…"

"_So what's really going on with Flash's dad?"_ Ned asked, suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

_"Flash is bitching about all the other soldiers in his dad's National Guard unit being released back to their homes, but he says that his dad hasn't come home, yet, and he says that the Avengers must be keeping him prisoner – otherwise he'd have come home by now."_ The normally cheerful teen rolled his eyes. _"If he was my kid, I'd stay away from home, too."_

Peter smiled his agreement.

"He is still here," he said, looking at Natasha for confirmation, because he hadn't seen the man since that morning when he'd come in to check the bandages on Peter's arm and hand.

She nodded.

"He's helping with Peter's injury."

"_He's a heart guy,"_ Ned pointed out, echoing the same thing that Peter had said._ "Is Peter's heart damaged?"_

Now he looked concerned.

"No." Natasha answered before Peter could, mainly because she knew more about it than the boy did. He had been in and out of lucidness when the explanation had been given to him. "He's been working with traumatic burns on the side, with his army unit and some other medical people. When Peter was hurt, he was our closest expert, and now he's sticking around to keep an eye on his progress. We aren't holding him prisoner, though."

Ned smirked.

"_I knew you weren't. Flash is just being his usual self. What's his dad like? Same as Flash?"_

"No," Peter replied, and hid his smile when he spoke next. "He seems nice enough. He definitely knows his stuff – but he's kind of like Stephen; bedside manner and all snooty and pompous. Know-it-all and not afraid to tell you what to do…"

"I _heard_ that," Strange said from the doorway, drolly, his arms crossed over his chest.

It was Peter's turn to smirk; he'd known the doctor was coming; he'd felt him. Even more, from the amusement in Stephen's expression, he knew Peter had known.

"Oops."

"Peter needs to take a nap, Ned," Strange said, walking into the scope of the camera. "He'll call you, later."

Ned was amused, too.

"_Yeah. See you guys."_

The call ended, and Peter and Natasha both looked up at him.

"I could have given you carrot sticks…"

"I'm glad you didn't," Romanoff told him, munching on her corndog. "Are you sticking around?"

"No. I'm going back to the sanctum for a while. Everything good, here?"

She nodded, her free hand resting on Peter's uninjured shoulder.

"We're fine."

Peter nodded his agreement.

Strange left, then, and Peter frowned, looking around.

"What is it?" Natasha asked, curiously.

"Karen? Are you integrated with all the video cameras and security cameras in the compound, still?"

_"Yes."_

"Find Nutmeg for me, will you?"

"What are you looking for?" Natasha asked, and then shook her head when the TV's display once more came on.

This time showing an image of one of the corridors - somewhere near the gym from the looks of it. Walking along the corridor, awkwardly dragging Peter's Ironman doll was Nutmeg, looking for all the world like he owned the place and had every intention of taking the doll someplace to eat it in private.

The toddler in Peter screamed in indignation at the sight, even as Romanoff smiled.

"I'll go rescue it."

He nodded.

"Thank you."

"Save me another corndog."


	88. Chapter 88

Peter was asleep when Tony walked into the boy's bedroom almost an hour after Natasha returned from rescuing his doll. Now the thing was safely tucked inside Peter's sling, while Nutmeg was curled up in the small space formed between Peter's body and Natasha's. The assassin was sitting up on the bed with a tablet in one hand and the other resting lightly on Peter's shoulder. She looked up from the display as he entered.

"Where's Pepper?"

"Taking care of a few things. She'll be here, soon. How is he?"

Which told her that Stephen had pulled them aside to discuss their son's mental and emotional health as well as the physical.

"Stayed awake a while, but he's tired." She brushed gentle fingers along Peter's cheek, proving when he didn't wake at the touch that she knew what she was talking about. "Poor baby."

Tony's expression was tender.

"Anything I need to know?"

"He's missing homecoming."

"Yeah. And school, too, I imagine. Nothing we can do about it, right now. Not only would he have a lot of people asking what happened, but he's really not healthy enough to be there, anyway. We'd just be setting him up for failure if we let him go. Even to homecoming. He'd just fall on his face. We'll make it up to him, somehow."

She smiled.

"A dance here?"

"Or something. What are you watching?"

"Debriefs." She made a wry face, which didn't do anything to diminish how beautiful she was. "I was knocked out of the fight fairly early."

"Yeah, I know. Someone got in a lucky hit?"

"A wave of someones," she told him. "It might have ended badly if not for Groot saving me."

Tony hadn't heard that and made a mental note to look for that footage if it was available.

"I'll have to think of a way to thank him."

That made her smile – which made her more beautiful than ever, as far as Stark was concerned.

"Are you good here?"

"Yes, Agent Romanoff. You are released from your responsibilities as bed warmer and cuddle-buddy for my sixteen-year-old son."

She rolled her eyes, but phrasing that might have earned someone else a scowl – or worse – from the superspy only made her shrug. It was true, after all, and Peter was worth putting up with Tony's smart-assed comments every now and then. She eased herself away from Peter's side, but the boy roused at the movement and sleepily reached for her.

"Shhh…" Tony murmured, slipping himself into the spot Natasha vacated. He picked up Nutmeg to avoid the kitten getting pressed uncomfortably between them, and Peter muttered something incomprehensible and settled, once more. Only now he was cuddled against Tony. "We'll stay with him, tonight," he told Romanoff. "You guys can have him in the morning."

"I'll pass the word," she said.

She handed him the tablet that she'd been using and left, and Tony settled himself, looking down at Peter to make sure he was resting comfortably before he put Nutmeg back where he'd been. The kitten yawned, mightily, and then reached a paw out to catch Stark's finger and started gnawing on it turning arguably one of the most powerful men on the planet into a chew toy.

He rolled his eyes, and swapped the tablet to the other hand, turning it on. He'd watch some of the debriefs, too.

OOOOOOO

Quill was sitting with Danvers, Steve and Bruce when Gamora walked into the room with Drax, Mantis and Sirah. As they walked over to the table, Shuri joined them with Rocket and Groot, blushing, slightly, when Steve smiled at her, but reminding herself that princesses do not have crushes on men who are so much older (and she knew he was like a _hundred_, so it was even more inappropriate) it was just the fact that he was a superhero, of course.

"Did you find anything out?" Peter asked, curiously, as Gamora sat next to him and the others found chairs – even Sirah, who looked uneasy most of the time.

Earth was a confusing place to her – especially since all the people were so nice to her, and no one had put her to work, yet. They simply kept asking if she needed anything and making sure she was comfortable. It was odd for someone who had been a servant since she was much, much, younger.

"The light's still out there," Gamora reported, knowing that Steve would be interested to hear it, too. "It's moving through this galaxy and in some places has already expanded."

"Looks like Peter's going to be affecting a lot more than just this place, then," Rocket said, unable to hide how impressed he was.

"It's healing everywhere it goes?" Steve asked, knowing that Tony would be interested.

"I don't have any contacts on any of the planets it has been seen," she admitted. "So I'm not completely certain what it's doing."

"What does the light have to do with Peter?" Shuri asked, curiously.

"He created it," Rocket told her, wondering how she'd managed to miss that particular piece of information. It was the most interesting thing that had happened that entire battle. "When he snuffed Thanos, he did it with the light."

"But we're trying to keep that under wraps," Steve said, quickly, to the princess. "The less known about Peter's involvement with that, the better. For him, especially."

She nodded, awed. She hadn't had any idea, really. Of course, she'd been focused on healing the injuries caused by the stones' contact with her friend, and that had taken much of her focus. Now that he was out of the chamber and on the road to recovery, she could learn more – but not from the Avengers, she was certain. She had access to Tony's tech, somewhat, and also residual access to Peter's AI from when she'd made his suit for him and had integrated it. She could probably find her own answers.

She had plenty of time to look for them, since Peter was asleep and likely would be until the next morning.

"I understand, Steve."

Quill glanced at Bruce, and then brightened, considerably.

"Show them your trick."

The scientist frowned, but then smiled, looking at the others around the table.

"I probably shouldn't. It might scare someone."

"What trick?" Shuri asked.

"Yeah." Rocket looked interested. Bruce wasn't a very interesting-seeming guy, really. If Quill was that interested, maybe there was more to the guy than what met the eye. "What trick?"

Bruce looked at Steve, who shrugged.

"It's up to you."

He could see that Bruce wanted to, though. Not to show off the 'trick', really, but because it was still so novel to him that he could change at will. And still maintain his own senses. He was testing himself each time he did it. Trying to see if it was temporary or not.

Banner got to his feet, looking around the room. The rest of the lounge was empty, aside from the bartender, who had just vanished into the kitchen area behind the bar.

"You guys know who the Hulk is?" he asked.

"Of course," Shuri said, brightly.

"No clue," Rocket disagreed.

Groot and the rest also shook their heads.

"That's me," Bruce explained. "My alter-ego."

Shuri frowned.

"I do not understand."

"Only one to way to really prove it," Steve told his friend, turning to watch Shuri's reaction.

A moment later, Bruce was gone; transformed into the Incredible Hulk. There were several gasps and Rocket almost immediately reached for a weapon that he wasn't carrying. As had Drax, and Gamora. Mantis remained calm, well aware that the mind of the beast that was suddenly in front of them was as calm as Doctor Banner's had been. Shuri paled, but Sirah looked as if she was ready to run away – and only the fact that she was frozen to the spot with fear stopped her.

"That is really you, Doctor Banner?" Shuri asked, amazed as soon as she got over her shock.

The horrible face broke into a smile.

"Yeah."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Quill asked, obviously having already witness the transformation, but just as excited to see it happen, again. "Could you imagine what we could do with him? The bounties we could claim? The people we could bring in?"

The Hulk vanished, replaced by Bruce, once more.

"I've seen your spaceship," he told them. "You're probably better off waiting to make sure my control doesn't eventually slip, because the other guy would make pretty short work of the thing, and you'd all be walking."

"My master would give much to have a creature such as the green beast in his collection," Sirah said, suddenly looking hopeful. "If I brought him the creature, perhaps he would allow me to continue to serve him."

Quill scowled at that.

"You let us worry about him," he assured her. "You're not going to be left out in the cold. Right?" he asked, looking at Steve.

"Of course not."

As far as Steve was concerned, he wasn't going to allow her to go back where she came from only to be treated as a lowly – and disposable – servant, anyway.

He'd have to talk to Tony about that once Peter was feeling better.


	89. Chapter 89

_He was restless. _

_Worn out from the energy his body was using to heal the injuries to his hand and arm. His mind was trying to sort a million different things that had him worried, or that he thought that he needed to fix, or things that were just plain not going the way that he wanted them to go. Mainly, MJ and the fact that he was going to miss homecoming – and that even if he could go – and he knew he wasn't healthy enough but he wasn't ready to be reasonable, even with himself, just yet – he didn't have a date. All of these were keeping him from sleeping deeply – and that didn't even count the fact that his hand always hurt. Sometimes it hurt a lot, usually it was just a dull throb. Every now and then it itched, as well, which was probably a good sign, but was annoying. _

"_It's overwhelming, now," Alec agreed. "It'll seem better in a few days."_

"_It's never going to be better," Peter groused. "I'm the hero of this stupid story, and not only do I not get the girl, but I don't even get my happy ending."_

_Which would have included the dance – and maybe a kiss._

"_You have a happy ending." Alec had been in Peter's head long enough, now, to understand him better than anyone. "You and countless others. You're just not ready to enjoy it, yet. Try to relax a little, Peter. Relax and sleep and give yourself a chance to get healthy. Then it won't look so bad."_

"_Stop being reasonable."_

_He wasn't ready for that with Alec, yet, either._

"_Stop being a _baby_."_

_Peter retreated away from Alec and his stupid conversation, knowing full well that the ancient sorcerer stuck in his head was absolutely correct, but still sulking enough that he was able to ignore it. He turned his thoughts from everything that he had – and yes, he had so much that he knew later he'd feel ridiculous for griping – to the few things that he didn't. _

_And the one person that he wished he had back._

_His mind went to the conversation that she and he had had in the park. The choice that he'd been forced to make and the joy that he'd felt to be with her again. And the renewed pain to have left her. It was the right choice, yes, but that didn't make it hurt any less to have made it. And he hadn't even had a chance to see his parents. Only her. Had that been intentional? Or an oversight on whoever – or whatever – it was that had brought May to him in the first place?_

_Had his parents even been there? Did they know that Peter had chosen his surrogate parents over them? That he'd chosen his friends rather than be with them? What would they think of him? Of the decision that he'd made? He should have asked them. Should have given them a chance to have some say in things. They-_

"_No." Alec was back in the forefront of his mind, now, and had clearly been following the train of thought. "They're fine with whatever you choose. They want you happy. Just like May did."_

"_I should have asked." Peter stirred, restlessly. "I need to ask. I need to go talk to them."_

"_Wait, Peter." _

_Alec's tone was alarmed, but Peter couldn't imagine why. It wasn't that big of a deal. He knew where they were. He'd known where they were for as long as he could remember._

_His right hand was bandaged heavily, but the teleportation rock seemed to recognize that limitation, because it was his left hand that suddenly held the small walnut-sized rock. The voice in his head was different from Alec's; it was cheerful and carefree, always willing to help._

Where?

"_I need to go talk to my folks." Peter told it._

"_Peter. This isn't a good-"_

_Before Alec's argument was out, the boy was gone, taking his hesitant passenger along for the journey._

OOOOOOO

He'd been sleeping restlessly. So much so that while Pepper was pressed against his uninjured left side, now, Tony had been unwilling to get too close to the right, just in case he jarred against him when he shifted and hurt that damaged hand any more than it already was.

"It isn't fair…" Peter muttered, drawing Tony's attention and making him look over Peter's sleeping form to Pepper, who was also awake and trying to soothe their son. "I should have asked…"

He fell silent, then, and Pepper frowned, because the slight form beside her was tense.

"Should we wake him and make sure he's alright?"

"Yeah. It wouldn't hurt to-"

Before he could finish the sentence, they both saw Peter's left hand clench, and an instant later the boy was gone. Vanished completely from the spot between them. Nutmeg woke with a start, rolling onto his back with a undignified squeak.

"Shit."

Tony lurched to his feet to one side of the bed, and Pepper to the other, alarmed.

"Friday? Where is he?" Stark asked as he tapped his communication device, already calling Stephen for assistance.

"_Searching."_

"He's still on the planet?" Pepper asked, her eyes scared.

"_He's at the graveyard,"_ Friday reported through Karen's system.

Strange walked into the room, wearing sweats and a t-shirt and dress shoes, with the cloak draped on his collar, looking sleep-muzzled. Clearly, he'd been rousted out of his bed and had come without doing more than sliding his feet into the nearest pair of shoes. He heard the announcement and looked at Tony.

"Sleepwalking?"

"Go get him and bring him back," Pepper snapped, ordering the most powerful magician on the planet and her husband around without a thought. "Then we'll figure out how to keep him in the bed."

The two men didn't hesitate. Strange didn't even bother with a portal; he knew where Peter was and had been there several times. Had even collected Peter from there, before. A moment later, they were standing in the dark graveyard, the moon and a couple of safety lights all that illuminated the marble headstones – and the boy that was kneeling between them.

Tony stepped up, first, crouching down beside Peter, relieved that it was a mild evening, and not raining.

"What's going on, son?" he asked, gently, looking the boy over for any sign of panic, or additional injury.

"I just need to talk to them…"

"What's the atomic number for carbon?"

"Cheesecake."

So he was definitely sleepwalking. Tony brushed his hand along Peter's hair.

"How did you get here?"

He didn't see the infinity stones, but that was his biggest concern, just then. The energy from those stones would injure him, again, make his recovery take longer.

The boy held up his left hand and opened it, showing Tony and Stephen the teleportation stone.

"What are you talking to them about?" Stark asked, wondering if he could get some insight into what was going on in Peter's head. "What can we do?"

Peter's head went to the cool marble of his father's stone.

"I never had a chance to see them. To ask them."

"Ask them what, Peter?" Strange asked.

"If they're mad at me."

Tony frowned.

"Why would they be _mad_?"

Peter's eyes filled with tears, and he shook his head, choking up and unable to speak. The billionaire moved forward and pulled him carefully into his arms to hold him.

"I'm sorry…" Peter told him, brokenly.

"No need to be sorry," Stark assured him. "_No one's_ mad at you."

He looked over Strange and nodded. The sorcerer stepped up and a moment later they were all back in the corridor outside Peter's room. Just to make sure that Pepper hadn't moved into the living room area. Tony guided his son carefully back into his quarters where they found Pepper holding Nutmeg, waiting for them.

"Is he alright?" she asked, immediately moving into the bedroom and pulling the blankets back so they could put him back in his bed. The other hand still holding Peter's kitten.

"He seems to be," Tony assured her.

"We'll put him to bed, and I'll swing by to check him in the morning," Strange said.

"So we don't tell him?" Tony asked.

"No. I don't think we need to."

The billionaire took the teleportation stone from Peter's willing fingers and looked at the other two.

"How do we keep this out of his hands to avoid a repeat?"

Before Strange could offer to take it back to the sanctum, Nutmeg suddenly mewled, shifted in Pepper's hold and as the three watched, the kitten's mouth opened, giant tentacles suddenly appeared and snatched the stone out of Tony's hand, easily, and swallowed it – along with the tentacles.

Pepper was so shocked that she didn't even drop the kitten, although Tony stepped forward and carefully pulled Nutmeg from her hands and sat him on the edge of the bed. Unconcerned, the kitten gave a soft burp and started cleaning his front paw.

"What the _fuck_…?"

Both men looked from the kitten to Pepper, equally shocked.


	90. Chapter 90

_A/N: Lol, no cameras in Peter's rooms; Tony promised Peter that when he first installed Karen there in the first place. And it isn't the end of the teleporting stone; Nutmeg can bring it up anytime, like Goose did the tesseract._

OOOOOO

The sun was bright in the sky by the time Peter woke. He did it slowly, too, savoring the warmth that he was surrounded in, just then, and the fact that he could feel that he was bracketed on both sides. He wasn't completely certain who it was at the moment, but it didn't really matter. A hand came to rest on his shoulder, then, rubbing it, lightly.

"Awake?"

That was Tony. Peter nodded but wasn't quite ready to open his eyes. He buried his face into the warm, soft body that he now knew was Pepper. More awake, he could smell the shampoo that she preferred.

"M-hmm."

"How do you feel?"

"_Why does he sound more concerned today than he did, yesterday_?" Peter asked, curiously.

"_Oh, _that's_ a story I'll leave for them to tell,"_ Alec replied, sounding amused enough that Peter was curious, but wasn't worried that something terrible had happened overnight. _"Answer him before he starts to worry."_

"Sleepy."

"Too sleepy to eat?" Pepper asked, her fingers brushing Peter's cheek, making him open his eyes, finally.

She was watching him, intently, and Peter wondered if _she_ looked worried, too. She was pretty good at hiding it behind loving looks, and that was what she was giving him at the moment.

"Soon…"

He needed to wake up a bit more, first.

Tony looked over at Pepper, and both of them looked at Nutmeg, who was asleep on the pillow near Peter's head, near Pepper's shoulder. _That_ had taken some doing, really, because all three of them – Tony, Pepper _and_ Stephen – had seen the kitten suddenly become some kind of insane tentacle thing that was obviously _not_ a kitten, after all. Something much more dangerous looking in the form of a tiny kitten.

"What is he?" Tony had asked, aghast.

"No clue…" Stephen had replied, reaching for the kitten, cautiously. Nutmeg ignored him, continuing to scrub his paw, and then using the now clean digit to wash his ear. "Tell me you got that on _video_?"

"No cameras in Peter's quarters," Pepper replied before Tony could. "It was the first rule we made when Tony integrated Karen in here. To assure him that we weren't spying on him."

"Damn." He shrugged, though, running a hand along the kitten's back, and then – when he didn't get any adverse reaction from him – he slid it under the furry belly, palpating Nutmeg's stomach. "I don't feel anything out of the ordinary," the doctor told them.

"How is that _possible_?" Tony asked, still shocked at what they'd seen. "The thing had huge tentacles – or…" He shrugged. "_Tentacles_. That's what they looked like."

"That's what I saw," Pepper agreed.

Stephen picked Nutmeg up, easily, and looked the kitten over, and then _he_ shrugged, too.

"All I see is _Nutmeg_. Same kitten I saw yesterday – and the same kitten that Peter brought in out of the rain months ago."

"But he's a _monster_," Pepper said. "You saw what he did. Are you sure he wasn't in the sanctum all along, and Peter only _thought_ that it had been out in the rain? Maybe he's some kind of alien."

"He said he brought him in from outside. Besides, the cloak was the one that actually heard him, first."

"He can't sleep with Peter," she'd said, looking from the kitten to the boy in the bed. "What if he hurts him? Or _eats_ him?"

"He's been alone with Peter a million times since we brought him here, Pep," Tony pointed out – although he glanced at Strange to see what he thought. "If he was going to hurt Peter, he would have had a lot of chances to do it."

"Still…"

"Still…" Tony said, watching as Nutmeg took matters into his own hands (paws) and walked up Peter's sleeping form and tucked himself into the space beside his cheek. Peter's hand came to the fuzzy little body and they could all hear the kitten begin to purr, loudly, in approval. "We'll discuss that later. When he's a little less incapacitated."

"You're going to tell him?" Stephen asked.

Stark shrugged.

"Maybe? You don't think we should?"

"I'm not sure he'd _believe_ us. I wouldn't."

"We all saw it."

"True. I still wish that you had cameras in here."

"Do you have cameras in _your_ bedroom?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Point taken. Do you need me?"

"No. We're going to bed. Thank you for the help."

"You're welcome." He looked at Pepper. "You're alright?"

"Yes, thank you." Seen one kitten spewing tentacles, seen them _all_, right? Besides, now that she was over the initial shock all she could think was that there was really never a dull moment around the Avenger's compound. Why had they ever thought the _tower_ would be the place to live to finish raising Peter? "Good night, Stephen," she said with a grateful smile. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Call me when he wakes. I want to check his bandages."

The sorcerer vanished and Tony looked at his wife.

"Have I mentioned how amazing you are?"

Which made her smile.

"Yes. But you can say it, again."

"You're _amazing_," he told her, pulling her into his arms for a moment. "But such a _potty mouth_. What if _Peter_ had heard? He'd be scandalized. And his ears would probably have caught on-"

"It had _tentacles_," she interrupted, amused as he almost certainly intended. "And you weren't holding him, _I_ was."

"Maybe we just figured out what happened to the creature that crashed through Peter's door…?" Tony had asked, kissing her soundly and the guiding her to the left side of the bed so she could be the one that their son cuddled up against. He was aware that she definitely needed the reassurance that the touch would bring – even though it put her on the same side as Nutmeg. "Natasha will be glad to hear it. Or not…"

"She's pragmatic," Pepper had said, scooting close to Peter and running her fingers lightly along his cheek for a moment when he reacted to her presence by reaching for her. "She'll say it's just one more way to keep him safe."

Tony snorted, following that train of thought. He got into the bed, too, and made sure they were all covered before he had Karen turn out the lights.

"Imagine someone coming at him with Nutmeg standing beside him? Gobble gobble, no more bad guy…"

"Ugh. Go to sleep, Tony."

He'd done as he was told, but he didn't sleep for a while, and knew that she hadn't, either.

"Stephen is going to want to look at the bandages," Pepper told Peter after a few minutes of the three of them just being still and spending time together. "Then we'll go have breakfast and you can see everyone else – to reassure them that you're getting better."

"Okay."

He didn't tell Pepper, but he thought maybe he would see if Stephen would just use magic and bring breakfast to him; he didn't feel like getting out of bed. He didn't feel like doing anything socially with the others. He was remembering some weird dreams from the night before and felt a pang of sorrow at the thought of just how badly he'd treated his biological parents.

"_You didn't treat them badly,"_ Alec assured him. _"They'd want you alive and happy. Better that than dead and with them. You _know_ that. You _are_ happy with Tony and Pepper, right?"_

"_Of course, I am. I love them. But-"_

"_There isn't any room for a but in this conversation, Peter. You know they loved you. They showed it in the videos they recorded for you and if you need it to, I imagine we can talk the mind stone into showing you a million memories from your childhood that you're too young to remember. They loved you and wanted you. But they didn't love you so much that they would rather you were dead so that they could have you to themselves. You know _that_, too. Stop doing this to yourself. You're not going to accomplish anything by it. You've spoken with the dead. Now it's time to pull your head out of your rear and rejoin the living."_

Peter scowled; his face still buried in Pepper's side, so the two adults didn't see it. Alec retreated in his mind, as he sometimes did, but Peter knew he was still there; he was just giving him a chance to think about what he'd said. Or to get over being annoyed by what he said so that then he could think about it.

"We need to discuss a couple of _other_ things, too…" Tony told him, his hand on Peter's shoulder resting easily and his body language telling the boy that it wasn't something awful. "But they can wait a while."

"Like what we're getting mom for her birthday?" he asked. Then he frowned, again, and looked up at her. "I didn't miss it, did I?"

How long had he been sleeping? How many days had he been hurt?

She smiled, shaking her head.

"No, sweetheart. You didn't miss it. We're still a week away."

"Oh."

Good.

"I'm going to call Stephen," Tony told him, pushing the blankets back, having decided that Peter was awake enough, now, to be able to hold a conversation. "Then we'll go eat something. I'm starving."

"Yeah." _He_ was, too. Maybe he'd go eat in the lounge, after all. "Shuri's still here?"

Had he missed her leaving?

"She is," Pepper told him, smiling over at Tony, who smirked. "Probably curious to see how your hand is doing."

"So am I."

Tony heard his watch beep.

"Stephen's on his way. We'll take a look."

Peter sat up, reaching for Nutmeg and easily tipping him onto his back in his lap – even one-handed – so he could start rubbing his fuzzy belly. Focused on the kitten, he didn't notice the way Tony and Pepper both looked alarmed for a moment, but then relaxed as Nutmeg started purring, clearly approving of the manhandling.

"Who's a cute little guy?" Peter asked his kitten.

Nutmeg just closed his eye in bliss. He already knew the answer to that.


	91. Chapter 91

Stephen wasn't the only one to show up in Peter's bedroom. When he arrived, Doctor Thompson was with him, which made Peter think that he must be staying in guest quarters near Peter's own rooms. The boy was pretty sure that Strange wouldn't want to pop in and out in front of someone who wasn't already in the know when it came to what his abilities were, after all.

"How are you feeling?" Thompson asked, watching Peter shift so he could sit on the edge of the bed when Stephen gestured for him to do so.

Flash's father set a new bundle of bandages close at hand to replace the ones they were taking off.

"I'm okay."

"Sore?"

"Yes. Sometimes."

"Stabbing pains?" the doctor asked. "Or throbbing all the time?"

"It just aches," Peter told them all, sounding apologetic – even to himself.

He watched with the others as Stephen held his arm, carefully, while Thompson cut the bandages that ran from his fingers up to his shoulder, and then peeled them away, carefully.

"Wow…"

Peter looked up at Dr. Thompson's softly uttered word, and then down at his hand.

"It doesn't look too bad…" he said, uncertainly.

It _hurt_ a lot worse than it looked like it should.

"It looks incredible," the doctor told him. Then he looked at Tony and Pepper. "It looks great, guys. Even better than I expected."

The two looked relieved, and they watched as Strange and Thompson turned Peter's hand, palm up, now.

"Flex the fingers, if you can…" Strange told Peter.

The boy complied, but the hand felt stiff and sore as he did it.

"Does it hurt?" Thompson asked.

"Yes. A bit."

"Bend the elbow."

Peter did as he was told, and that didn't hurt so much.

"That's enough for now," he was told. The doctors started wrapping new, wet, cloths around Peter's hand, making sure to wrap each finger individually before they wrapped the entire hand, and then the wrist, the forearm and the rest, all the way up to his shoulder, once more.

"If his rate of healing continues, we'll probably check the hand again in a few days," Flash's father told Peter's parents. "The tech is even more efficient than I anticipated."

Of course, he didn't know that Peter was enhanced – and that was almost certainly driving the boy's recovery rate.

"Cutting edge," Tony agreed. "Thank you for staying so close."

"You're welcome." He shrugged. "You really don't need me here, now, though. His health is good and the hand is progressing well. I don't see him having any medical emergencies in the near future. I'm going to go home. I'll be back in three days to replace those bandages."

Tony looked at Stephen to see if he agreed with the other doctor. The billionaire was more than willing to keep Thompson close if needed. He could pull strings and make it worth the man's time to stay if the sorcerer supreme thought it was needed.

"He's right, Tony," Stephen agreed. "The hand looks good."

"Good enough to go to the dance tonight?" Peter asked, already knowing that they were going to say no, but figuring it was worth a shot.

Strange shook his head.

"No. The _hand_ would survive, maybe. You're using a lot of energy to heal, though. I doubt you'd make it out of the car."

Peter nodded, trying to hide his disappointment.

"What dance?" Flash's dad asked.

Peter looked up at him, wondering how he didn't know.

"Homecoming's tonight."

"Oh."

"Is Flash going?" Pepper asked, politely.

The doctor shrugged.

"Most likely. He enjoys those things, from what I understand." Thompson finished what he was doing. "No dance for you, however," he told Peter. "Probably not for several weeks. No _school_, either, though, so take the vacation while you can, hey?"

"Yeah…"

Nutmeg wandered over and rubbed up against Peter's sling, purring and looking for attention.

"I'll check in with Doctor Strange, here, before I leave the compound," they were told. "But feel free to call if you have any questions."

"Thank you."

They watched as he left, and Peter picked Nutmeg up, rubbing his chin against the top of the kitten's head, thinking idly that if he could grow any facial hair on his chin he could use it to tease the little guy. Of course, by the time he was able to, Nutmeg would probably be in a kitten nursing home.

"It _really_ looks okay?" he asked, looking at Strange.

Flash's dad seemed like a nice enough guy, but he wasn't Peter's doctor, and maybe he was just trying to make them all feel better…

"It looks fine," Stephen assured him. He reached over and gingerly took Nutmeg from Peter. "But since he's gone, we need to talk."

"About what happened last night?"

Tony frowned.

"You remember last night?"

"No. But you're all acting odd and looking at me funny, so I must have done something. Something _weird_, but not too dangerous, from the looks of things?"

Maybe he'd done some sleepwalking? Had he been making drinks, again?

Tony's smile was a little forced, but he shook his head. Peter didn't need to know about the sleepwalking – or sleep_teleportin_g – that he'd done the night before; he and Pepper had already discussed that. They'd mention that the rock appeared in his hand, though, to lead up to the interesting part of the story. He definitely needed to know what his kitten was capable of, after all.

"No. _You_ didn't do anything. This is about _Nutmeg_."

Oh.

Peter immediately looked around for the doll, thinking that Nutmeg had destroyed it and they were trying to think of some way to tell him, gently. He saw it half sticking out from under his pillow, though, and breathed a sigh of relief. Not that he was so enamored of the thing (although he liked the sentimentality of it) but the _toddler_ was far more active than was comfortable sometimes, and _that_ little boy definitely made his thoughts known when he wasn't happy about something.

"What did he break?"

"Nothing."

Pepper sat on the edge of the bed next to Peter, just in case he freaked out, while Tony told his son what Nutmeg had done.

OOOOOO

It didn't take long. It wasn't a long narrative to tell, after all. Peter frowned, though, looking from one to the other, his eyes uncertain.

"Is this a joke, or something? I don't understand."

"_Tentacles_, son," Tony replied. "Longer than my arms, and they just sprouted out of his mouth, took that rock right out of my hand – without doing more than brushing against my skin – and then he _ate_ it."

The boy heard Alec chuckle in his head, but Peter cast a sidelong glance at Pepper beside him (who was watching him, intently) and then looked back at Tony.

"Have you been _drinking_…?"

Now Alec snorted. A sound that made Peter smile, despite all the craziness going on around him. Pepper smiled, too.

"I take it that you've never witnessed him exhibiting any such behavior?" Stephen asked, unable to suppress his own smile at Peter's confusion.

"Never saw my kitten sprout tentacles?" Peter asked. "I'm sure I would have noticed."

Sarcasm wasn't Peter's first talent, but he'd lived with Tony a long time, now, and while it wasn't second nature to him, it came out easily at times.

None of them were offended.

"I know it sounds crazy," Stark said. "But we all saw it."

"He ate my rock?"

"Seems to have."

Peter frowned.

"What if I summoned it, then? Would it come bursting out of him?" He reached for Nutmeg, much more worried about that happening than the crazy tentacle thing. Stephen let him have the kitten, and Peter tucked him between the bandaged arm and his side, using the free hand to prize open Nutmeg's mouth, gently, as if he could see the rock.

"Peter… don't do that…" Pepper said. "Please…"

Nutmeg didn't do more than move his head away, letting Peter know he didn't like that, but why tempt fate?

Peter pulled his fingers from the little mouth. He could tell from how they were acting that they were serious about what they were telling him, so there probably wasn't a hidden camera somewhere waiting to catch his reaction.

"I don't understand…" he finally said. "He's not a kitten?"

"Doesn't seem to be," Stephen agreed.

"Maybe we should keep him somewhere else…" Tony told him, uncertainly, well aware what the reaction to that particular statement was going to be.

Sure enough, Peter's brow furrowed and his grip on the little fuzzy body tightened, almost imperceptibly.

"What? No."

"What if he hurts you?" Pepper asked. "We think that he just solved Natasha's mystery about what happened to that thing that broke into your rooms during the fight. If he can eat something that big and vicious, then what's to stop him from doing that to you?"

Her concern was valid. Peter didn't need Alec to tell him that. The sudden worry in her eyes was plain to see.

"He hasn't yet," Peter pointed out. "He likes me."

"But-"

"I'm not giving him up," the boy said to her. To _all of them_. To his chagrin, he felt his eyes burning with tears, and couldn't do a thing about it. Either the toddler was in complete agreement with him or Peter was too tired and miserable to be able to hold his own feelings back like he might have been able to another time. "He's a _baby_, and he doesn't have anyone else. Just us. We took him in… even if he turns out to be a weirdo, it's no reason to get rid of him."

He realized the similarity of his own situation, and the tears were suddenly falling. Peter had been taken in, too, after all, and if _he_ didn't classify as a weirdo, who did?

"_You're not _weird_,"_ Alec told him, immediately. "_You're incredible."_

None of the adults were immune to how distraught Peter was, and Pepper made a soft noise and gathered him into her arms, kitten and all.

"He's different is all…" Peter sobbed, and then buried his face against Pepper's collarbone, unable to say anything else.

She gave her husband and the sorcerer supreme a wry look as she comforted him, making soothing noises as Peter cried out all the frustrations of the past several days and weeks. All the fear. The pain and the uncertainty that he'd been through. Tony stepped close so he could run his hand along the back of Peter's head, unable to stand idly by when he was so upset.

Finally, with a soft, woeful sniff, Peter pulled away from them, wiping his eyes with his bare arm.

"I'm sorry…" he told them. Throwing a tantrum probably wasn't the best way to get what you wanted. "I-"

"You don't need to apologize," Tony replied, using his thumb to wipe a tear from Peter's cheek. "But I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to upset you. I just… he's _dangerous_, son. You understand that, right?"

"Not to us."

The kitten was looking a little ruffled, now, from being stuck in the middle of Peter's outburst and Pepper's comforting. They all looked at him, and Nutmeg looked back at them, unaffected by any of it. He yawned; little teeth bared to the world for all to see, but not a tentacle in sight.

Tony looked at Pepper, who smiled and ran her fingers through Peter's hair.

"You'll tell us if he does anything like that where you can see it?"

"Yes."

"And try to get some video proof," Strange added. "Otherwise the others are going to think we're nuts."

Tony already thought they were nuts; allowing Peter to keep something so potentially dangerous so close. But he didn't say anything else about taking Nutmeg away. Peter had made his opinion painfully clear, and Tony couldn't have taken the kitten away, now, even if the thing had sprouted an arsenal of bombs and machine guns out of its bottom. He already knew that he'd do anything for Peter, and he supposed this was one of those things.

"No experimenting, though…" he told his boy.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean; if you're holding the cat and you concentrate really hard, will the teleportation stone still send you someplace?"

Peter's eyebrow went up, and he looked down at Nutmeg, speculatively. It was obvious that he hadn't even considered that. Even more, Strange's expression was suddenly just as interested.

"Yes, Peter…" the sorcerer said, casually reaching for Nutmeg, who went willingly. The doctor held the kitten in one hand, caressing him with the other. "No experimenting…"

They all watched, knowing full well what he was doing. When he was still in the same place a minute later, he shrugged and handed the fuzzy creature back to the boy.

"Nothing?" Tony asked.

"No." He looked at Peter. "Eat something and get some rest. I'll be back later to check on you."

"Okay."


	92. Chapter 92

Shuri and Natasha were sitting with Steve and Carol at the corner table when Tony walked in with his little family.

"He looks exhausted," Steve said, softly, watching as the three walked across the room and a slow pace – clearly matching Peter's rate of movement, and proving Steve correct.

Peter was wan and pale, and looked worried – as usual – but he was on his feet, and that was a step in the right direction. Natasha smiled when she saw that the boy had Nutmeg tucked into the space in his sling, and the kitten looked fine with that arrangement.

"Did Stephen check you out?" she asked as he sat down beside her with a tired sigh, smiling a greeting to them all.

"He just did."

She reached over and fished Nutmeg out of the little den made by Peter's sling, cooing the kitten and smoothing down his fur before she looked at Tony.

"Well?"

"We had a look at the hand. Stephen and Dr. Thompson are both pleased with the progress he's making."

"Does it hurt, Peter?" Shuri asked.

"Not too much," he replied. "The bandages and the sling help me keep it from banging into anything. How are you doing?"

He hadn't had much contact with her, and it was nice to chat with someone his own age, after all. Not that he didn't love the others, but they were all older than he was – and parental figures in one form or the other. Shuri wasn't.

"I am well, thank you."

"You guys ate?" Tony asked.

"Early," Steve replied. He looked at Peter. "We're going to Clint's for the weekend."

"You and Carol?"

Danvers smiled.

"It's been a long time since I've been on a farm," she told the boy. "And Clint invited me out. Said I'd get a chance to meet Peter Pony – and _Nick Furry_."

It was obvious that the name amused her, and that made Peter's smile broaden. He looked at Steve.

"Are you taking Jack?"

"Yes. Need anything before we leave?"

"No. Tell Lila I said hello."

"I'll give her a kiss from you," Rogers told him.

Which made Peter roll his eyes, but he nodded, amused. They all loved Lila Barton, but _she_ loved Peter.

"Do that. If someone brought me a piece of paper and something to write with, I'd write her a letter to send with you."

Tony offered to, since he wanted to go get himself and Pepper some coffee. When he got up, Shuri looked at Peter, confused. It was Natasha who answered the unspoken question, however.

"It's a new thing that Peter has going with Lila," the superspy told the princess as she cuddled Nutmeg, who was on his back, now, presenting his belly for rubbing. "She had a school assignment to write a letter – _not_ an email – to someone, and of course she sent hers to Peter."

"Who then had to reply, of course," Steve added.

Shuri smiled.

"Of _course_."

"And now it's their thing," Pepper said, as Tony returned, juggling two cups of coffee, a piece of plain white paper and holding a pen in his mouth.

"It's _drooled_ on," Peter protested, reaching for the pen when Tony handed it to him after setting down the coffee.

That made Tony smile; he'd been concerned about his boy – especially the breakdown about Nutmeg. Not so much the concern about having the kitten taken away, but the billionaire hadn't missed the similarities between the kitten and Peter's situation, either. He didn't like Peter referring to himself as a weirdo.

"The bar's right there if you think you can find a drier one…"

Peter smirked, made a show of drying the pen off on his pajama bottoms and awkwardly started writing the letter left-handed while they waited for their breakfast.

OOOOOOOO

"What are you going to do today?" Shuri asked a while later.

Steve and Carol had left, taking Peter's letter with them. A letter that looked like Peter was the nine-year-old if you were basing it on the handwriting. He'd taken the teasing all of them gave him good-naturedly, though, and had only rolled his eyes a little when Natasha cut his pancakes and his ham for him before allowing him near his breakfast.

"Not a lot," Peter told her. He didn't want to admit that he was tired, but he really _was_. "How long are you staying?"

Shuri looked at Tony and Pepper.

"Until the bandages come off," she replied. "T'Challa knows I am curious to see how the technology in the immersion chamber worked, so he has allowed me to remain, as long as I am not a nuisance."

Which made all of them smile.

"It probably saved his hand," Stark told her, seriously. "But you'd be welcomed here, regardless. You know that."

"I count on it," Shuri told him, looking pleased.

"Why don't you and Peter spend some time hanging out together?" Pepper suggested. She could see that he was tired, and Shuri was a restful visitor, so he would probably fall asleep in her company. "He's probably ready to get away from us grownups for a while."

Peter started to shake his head to deny that; but he realized from her amused expression that she didn't think they were bothering him. She was just giving him a chance to spend time with Shuri – or giving the princess a chance to have him to herself for a while. Either way, it was nice of her – especially since Peter was certainly aware of the fact that she could cuddle with him all day if he'd let her.

He nodded, instead.

"What are you guys doing?"

So much time in bed left him feeling disjointed and apart from what was going on in the compound.

"I'm going in to the tower for a while," Pepper told him. "We have a few meetings I need to handle before the weekend really gets started."

"And I am going to be lazy and stick close to the compound, taking care of some administrative details that Steve and Nick don't care to handle," Tony said, smiling.

Peter looked at Romanoff, who shrugged.

"I'm going to start my weekend early. I'm driving Pepper into the city and then will be at the sanctum – where you can reach me if you need anything."

"He won't need anything," Tony assured her, reaching out and taking Nutmeg from Natasha's hold. The kitten was asleep, now, and showing every sign of staying that way for a while. "He has Shuri to take care of him – and me to back her up if he becomes difficult about getting plenty of sleep and not doing anything crazy."

"How are you getting home?" Shuri asked, curiously.

"Happy. He wants to check on Peter, anyway – and he hasn't met the guardians, yet. So we can't let them leave until he does."

"They're leaving?" Peter asked, looking around the room, suddenly, and realizing that he hadn't seen any of them the entire time that they'd been eating.

"Not yet," Pepper assured him. "Definitely not without letting you know ahead of time. I know Peter – Quill, that is – doesn't want to leave until you're well enough to run him to the gas station a few more times so he can stock up on junk food."

Which made the boy smile.

"We should take him to Costco."

"His spaceship isn't that big," Tony pointed out. "He looked at Shuri and Peter. "Are you guys good?"

Which was his way of asking if they minded if the adults abandoned them.

"Yeah. We're fine…" Peter looked at Shuri, who nodded, as well.

"I will walk with Peter back to his quarters."

"Four inches of space," Tony reminded his son, standing up, still holding Nutmeg and smirking when Peter rolled his eyes. "Have Karen call Friday if you need me."

Natasha brushed a kiss against his temple as she got to her feet, as well, but she didn't say anything. She really didn't need to. Peter knew where she was going to be – and who she was going to be with. If anything happened, and he needed her, Stephen would have them there in less than a heartbeat.

Pepper kissed him, too, but she added a hug from behind, careful not to jar his injured side.

"Have fun, today," she told him. "I'll bring you back a surprise."

Which made Peter smile.

"Thank you. Have a good day."

It was a sign that they all acknowledged that he was getting better that they were willing to leave him alone for a while. Not completely alone, but only because Shuri wanted to spend time with him. If she wasn't there, he would probably have had someone walking with him to make sure he made it to his rooms, but then would have been left to his own devices for a while.

Tony was still carrying Nutmeg when he left with the two women, and Peter was sure that Natasha was about to find out about the kitten's nocturnal activities. Shuri's hand found his.

"What did Tony mean by four inches?" she asked, curiously, as they got up, as well.

"It's an old-fashioned rule for formal dancing," Peter told her, amused. "There had to be four inches of space between the dancers – to make sure they weren't getting too chummy with each other, I think."

The princess smirked and slid her arm around Peter, ostensibly to support him and help him keep his balance, but mainly because she knew she could and that he wouldn't mind.

"We are breaking the rule, then?"

He chuckled, squeezing her, lightly.

"Yeah."


	93. Chapter 93

He didn't make it all the way back to his quarters, immediately.

With a sigh, he stopped at one of the chairs that were spaced at intervals along the corridors of the compound, now. Chairs that were there just in case he needed to sit down because he was just too tired to make it to wherever he was going at the time.

"Sorry," he told Shuri. "Just give me a minute to catch my breath."

It was more like his legs felt weak and like they were made of jell-o, but good enough. She didn't mind. Instead, she watched him, concerned but not worried. She'd been warned by Strange that Peter wasn't anywhere close to as healthy as he probably thought he was, and that he'd need to take frequent rests. She'd been told not to make a big deal out of it, if she could, simply to avoid allowing him a chance to stress something that should be less of a concern in only a few days to a week.

"Take your time," the princess told him. "Or… I could carry you, if you would like?"

Peter's smile was tired, but definitely amused.

"You'd _drop_ me – and undo all the good this walking is doing me."

"I am _very_ strong, and you are rather scrawny."

"Hey…" He pretended to be annoyed. "We slender guys prefer the word _lithe_, or lissome."

"Is that even a _word_?" she asked, sitting on the arm of the chair, careful to make sure it was the left side – just in case. "_Lissome_?"

"Look it up."

"Do not think that I won't."

He smiled and was ready to keep going in just a few minutes. She moved out of the way to allow him to stand, but she couldn't help the hand that hovered close – just in case he needed the support.

"I'm good," he assured her. "Thanks."

Proving he hadn't missed the gesture.

She masked it by tucking her hand into the crook of his left arm, companionably.

"You are doing very well," she told him, approvingly. "I am pleased at the results from the chamber, so far."

"You sound surprised."

"You are the first trial. It is very new technology."

He frowned.

"You _experimented_ on me?"

"Tony approved it." She didn't sound at all contrite. Amused more than anything. "But I knew it was sound, or we never would have applied it."

"Huh."

His huff was disapproving, but she knew that he didn't mean it.

"I will give you credit if I choose to write up the results," she offered, unable to keep from egging him on. He was hard to tease, sometimes. "You can be _P. Parker. Case Study number one_."

"Ooooo…" the sound was sarcastic, and they both were smiling when they reached his quarters.

"Sit down," Shuri told him, pushing him toward the sofa. "I will bring you something to drink."

He did as he was told – mainly because he really needed to sit down – and tucked the injured side against the soft leather of a couch pillow, leaving her a space on his left. He had barely settled when she returned with a bottle of cola from his fridge. One for him and another for herself.

"A princess waiting on me," Peter said, taking it with a smile of thanks. "That's heady stuff for a kid from Queens."

Shuri smirked, sitting beside him, her body turned toward him, and her foot tucked under her rear.

"Do not get used to it. I can be very demanding. We princesses are like that, sometimes."

"How many other princesses do you know?" he asked, curiously.

"None," she was forced to admit. "But I have seen your Disney cartoons. Not very accurate – no bird has ever come and helped me design a dress – but entertaining."

"Karen? A Disney princess movie, please…" Peter requested, making Shuri roll her eyes.

"I did not come from Wakanda to watch cartoons, Peter."

"You came to spend time with me, right?"

"Exactly."

He shrugged one shoulder.

"Well, I'm going to watch a Disney movie… so where does that leave you?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Fine. But not Cinderella."

"Karen?"

The lights were already off, since the room was well lit by the sunlight coming through the part of the window that wasn't blocked by Nutmeg's sunroom. The TV turned on and the opening credits to the Little Mermaid came on. Shuri sighed; a sound of great suffering, and then she set her drink on Peter's coffee table and settled in, getting more comfortable.

"Only _one_," she told him. "And then I choose the next movie."

"Fair."

OOOOOO

"Have you two been _drinking_?"

Pepper smirked, amused, and shook her head.

"That's exactly what Peter said."

"I know it sounds crazy," Tony told her, running a hand along Nutmeg's furry head. "But it happened, I shit you not."

"Tony…" Pepper chided.

He rolled his eyes, not mentioning her reaction to Nutmeg's parlor trick.

"It happened," he repeated.

"Tentacles?"

"Yup. Right out of a mariner's nightmare."

Natasha took Nutmeg from him, then, and held the kitten up with one hand, turning him around and looking at him from all directions. The furry creature simply looked back at her, clearly wondering what she was doing, but willing to put up with it.

He liked Natasha, after all.

"Where did they go?" she asked, pointedly. "I don't see any tentacle-shaped bumps coming from inside him."

"Stephen checked him, too," Pepper said. "But it _happened_. Ask him."

Natasha would have thought they were messing with her, but they both looked serious. She shrugged, though.

"If he saw it, then he's probably already trying to figure it out." Which explained why he was at the sanctum instead of hovering over his patient. "I'll see what he knows, when I talk to him."

"And you'll believe us the next time we tell you something…" Tony added.

"And the next time you tell me something equally crazy, I will still look at you, oddly," she assured him. "We'd better get going."

She handed Nutmeg back to Stark, who tucked him into his arm.

"Drive safe."

He kissed Pepper, softly, and she smiled.

"Call me if Peter needs anything. And don't forget to make sure everything is ready for this evening."

"I'll take care of it."

Pepper rubbed Nutmeg's head.

"And keep an eye on him, please?"

"Peter? Or the kitten?"

"I meant Peter. But watch Nutmeg, too."

He smirked, kissed her, again, and then turned to Romanoff.

"Tell Stephen to call me if he found anything. Or to come by."

"No dissecting the kitten, though," Pepper added. "I'm not going to have another scene like we had earlier."

"I know, honey." He _did_, too. It had upset him to see Peter so broken just as much as it had her. "We'll be fine."

"What happened earlier?" Natasha asked.

"I'll tell you on the way," she promised, moving to the other side of the assassin's Corvette.

Tony watched them until they'd driven off, and then he looked down at the kitten in his arm.

"Let's go check on Peter, shall we?" he asked. "Then I will hand you over to him and go spend some time with my pig. I mean, Peter's pig."

Nutmeg didn't look convinced, either, but the kitten didn't complain when Tony carried him back through the corridors and toward Peter's rooms. He let himself into the boy's quarters, and was surprised to see that Peter and Shuri were on the couch. That wasn't so surprising, really, but they were watching a cartoon.

Shuri glanced over when the door opened, and rolled her eyes at the confusion on his expression. Tony walked over to the back of the sofa and saw that Peter was asleep.

"Little Mermaid?" the billionaire asked, amused. "Really?"

"He thought he was being funny," she said – smiling. "But then he fell asleep, and now I am stuck watching it. Alone."

"Here," Tony told her, handing her Nutmeg. "Now you have some company."

She took the kitten and pressed her nose into his soft fur.

"Kittens are so much cuddlier than puppies," she said, quietly, to keep from waking Peter.

"I don't know; Tony puppy is pretty soft…" he said, referring to the puppy that Peter had bought for her.

"He is," she agreed. "But he will not hold still long enough to cuddle like this."

"He's a _boy_," Tony reminded the princess. "We're more restless."

"I have noticed."

He smiled.

"Have Karen call me if you need anything."

"Thank you."

He left and she turned back to the movie, now distracted by the kitten she was holding.


	94. Chapter 94

Shuri was playing video games when Peter woke, next.

She smiled when she saw him sitting up out of the corner of her eye, but never turned her attention from the TV, and her hands were both on the game controller.

"Good morning."

"It's morning?" he asked, sleepily, yawning but only able to stretch his left arm.

"It is early _afternoon_," she told him. "Tony has been in to check on you twice. I believe Pepper has called him, but he did not want to wake you. How do you feel?"

"I'm good." He sat and watched her playing the game, noticing that she was getting pretty good at it/ A benefit to spending any amount of time with Ned, after all. "Did you have lunch?"

"I was waiting for you – although it would almost be an early dinner, now. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah."

Before he could suggest anything, Karen interrupted.

_"Incoming call from Ned."_

Shuri paused her game, and Peter smiled.

"Bring him onto the TV, will you, Karen?"

A moment later his friend was looking out at him from the display. Ned was obviously at home, to judge by the background, and his eyes grew even happier when he saw Shuri sitting beside Peter.

_"Hey. What are you two doing?"_

"Playing video games."

_"One-handed?"_

He clearly hadn't missed the sling.

"_Shuri's_ playing. I'm watching. What are you doing?"

_"Calling to check on you. Getting ready for tonight. Sort of."_

"What is happening tonight?" Shuri asked, curiously.

_"Homecoming dance. Peter didn't tell you?"_

"I heard about it, yes," she told him. "I did not realize it was this evening."

_"Yeah. I told Peter I didn't have to go. It's not fair to him, since he can't come."_

"But it's dumb for him to stay away just because I can't go. Besides, he'd just be sitting home alone, since I'm not well enough for a lot of company, yet."

"He is right. I will keep him company." She smiled. "Do you have a date?"

Ned grinned.

_"Of course I do. I'm a ladies' man. You know that."_

Which made the princess roll her eyes.

"Tell me about her."

Peter excused himself to go to the bathroom while Ned began describing his date for the dance. By the time he returned, they had changed subjects over to the video game that Shuri had been playing and Ned was giving her some tips on secret ways to defeat the boss at the end of the level.

"_Ask if I can come out next weekend, Peter,"_ Ned told his friend. "_You should be better by then, right?"_

"I think so, yeah." He definitely planned to be. "I'll ask Tony about it."

"Do that. I need to go. Mom says hi."

_"Tell her hi back."_

Ned's image faded, leaving the video game on the screen once more, and Shuri turned to her friend.

"Tony asked that I call him when you wake. Are you going to stay awake?"

"Yeah. I'm good." He felt pretty good, really, after getting some sleep. "Karen? Will you tell Friday I'm awake?"

He smirked when she rolled her eyes at the show of tech – or laziness, she wasn't sure which. It was only a few minutes later, however, when Tony Stark walked into the room with Ironpig under his arm. The piglet was wearing a green Incredible Hulk sweater, and Shuri reached for him as soon as the billionaire was close.

"How do you feel?" Tony asked his son, relinquishing the pig to the princess.

"I'm good. Did you eat?"

"I did," Stark confirmed. "But I'll keep you company while you and Shuri have something."

"Where's Nutmeg?"

"Wandering around, somewhere… he woke up from his nap, hopped off my lap while I was working on a concept design, and wandered off. Karen? Where's Peter's cat?"

"_In the control room. Asleep on one of the keyboards."_

There _were_ cameras in that room, and it was a simple matter to bring the image up on the display. Sure enough, one of the SHIELD agents was trying to toggle through various video feeds, while also trying to ignore the kitten that was sprawled on his keyboard in front of him. It was a common enough sight, really, and a problem Peter had discovered with Nutmeg, too. He liked being in the way.

"Feel up to going to the lounge?"

"Yeah."

OOOOOOOO

Bruce was in the lounge sitting at a table with Gamora, Quill and Sirah. The young woman's eyes widened when she saw Peter enter the room, and she got to her feet.

"They said you were here," she told him. "But that you had been injured." Her gaze looked him over; not just the sling and the bandages on his arm and hand, but he felt like she was giving him a thorough examination – and the frank stare made him blush, unaccountably. "You are much younger than I thought."

Probably because she'd been so afraid when she'd first met him.

"Oh." Peter shrugged as well as he could. "Yeah. I mean; I know. How are you doing?"

"I am trying to make myself useful, but no one has anything for me to do for them."

"She's a _servant_, Tony," Bruce said, clearly displeased. "Did you know that?"

Stark shook his head.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to her. We've been a bit distracted."

"Steve debriefed her before he and Carol left, this morning," Quill said as Peter sat down at the table. He sat beside Gamora, who gave him a welcoming smile, but before Shuri or Tony could take the other side of him, Sirah took that chair, pushing it a little closer. "He wanted her account of what happened – and how she met Peter."

"He saved me," the girl said, reaching her hand out and touching Peter's cheek, lightly. There wasn't anything subtle about the caress and Peter blushed even hotter. "I was all alone and he came and rescued me."

Obviously she'd forgotten that Peter had tried to leave her on the planet.

Shuri didn't look amused at the intimate contact, and Tony smiled, politely, but was well aware that Pepper wouldn't approve of the girl being so familiar with their son. Sirah was young, and beautiful, and seemed smitten with Peter. Who looked uncomfortable, but didn't pull away from the touch.

"I didn't do anything that anyone else wouldn't have done," he assured her.

Gamora tossed the girl a pointed look, and Sirah dropped her hand, looking away, almost nervously.

"What are you planning on doing with her?" Bruce asked.

"What do you mean?" Tony replied, curiously. "Nothing. Send her back wherever she belongs."

"I belong to my master," Sirah told him. "He will be very angry with me and will beat me – _perhaps_ – for losing the treasure he entrusted to me."

"She's _owned_," Bruce stated, looking annoyed. "You can't send her back to someplace where she's going to be treated like property."

"She isn't _Tony's_ property," Gamora pointed out. "It's not his call to make what happens to her."

The girl looked upset by that, but she also looked resigned.

"She is correct."

"Don't worry about it, Bruce," Stark told his friend. "We'll figure it out."

"Perhaps I could stay here," Sirah offered up, looking hopeful. "I could make myself useful."

She fluttered her eyelashes at Peter, who looked over at Tony for some help, definitely not ready to deal with being in Sirah's crosshairs, just then.

"We'll figure it out," he said, again. "Peter? I need you to help me get drinks at the bar."

The boy got up, immediately, and excused himself, looking relieved, and Sirah looked at Shuri, not missing the princess's expression.

"Did I offend?" she asked, curiously.

"You did not," Shuri replied, unable to be less than graceful and reassuring at her confusion. It was in her upbringing and her training to put people at ease. Even people who were poaching territories that were better left to others. "Peter is just out of his sickbed, and not ready for such shenanigans."

"He is very handsome. Is he taken?"

Gamora snorted, amused, but Shuri ignored her – _and_ the look Peter Quill exchanged with Bruce.

"Yes."

OOOOOOOO

"We don't need to have another talk, do we?" Tony asked Peter, softly, as they reached the bar.

The billionaire was amused, but Peter flushed further, and could feel Alec's amusement in his head, as well.

"It's not _funny_," he told Tony in a whisper, looking over his shoulder at the table that they'd abandoned. "What do I do?"

"We'll have Gamora keep an eye on her while she's here. Relax, okay? I don't want you stressing – and we don't need to mention this to _mom_, either. Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean, no. Please."

Tony smiled.

"Come on; you need to eat. I want you looking well-fed and rested before she gets home."


	95. Chapter 95

When they returned to the table, Peter noticed immediately that Shuri had taken the spot beside Sirah, which was a relief. Just to be safe, however, he handed her the cup of tea that he'd brought for her, nd then went around the table to take the place between Tony and Bruce, instead, figuring he was much better off bracketing himself with males for the moment. From the amused glances that the adults threw his direction, they all knew why he'd done it – although he did wonder why Shuri looked annoyed – and Sirah looked a little as though she were pouting, and she cast a speculative look his direction as they had lunch and he, Tony and Shuri engaged in light conversation with the others until they excused themselves right about the time they were finishing their meal.

"I want you to go back to bed," Tony told Peter as they were enjoying a little quiet time at the table after eating.

"I'm okay."

"I know. You look okay, too. But I told you; I want you looking refreshed when Pepper gets home. That way she can spend some down time with you this evening. Yeah?"

Peter nodded. He was fine with Tony looking out for Pepper like that, even though it meant sending him to bed when he really _did_ feel pretty good.

"_A nap wouldn't hurt anything,"_ Alec pointed out. "_If that's all it takes to reassure them, might as well."_

The boy agreed, although he was a little surprised that his inner tingling that told him something was up was vaguely making themselves felt. Not enough to worry him, however. He looked at Tony and Shuri.

"What are you guys going to do?"

The billionaire smiled.

"I'm going to show your buddy here how well the shield she made worked – and if we have time, I'll show her some of the railguns footage, as well."

Shuri blushed, pleased, and that made Peter smile, too.

"Do you want me to walk with you back to your rooms?" the princess asked.

"No. I'm good." He knew that she was interested in what Tony was going to show her. He was interested in it, too, but he could wait, since it wasn't going anywhere, and neither was he. "Thanks."

"We'll wake you for dinner," Tony told him, waving the boy off.

Peter shook his head; more amused than offended at the dismissal. He got to his feet and left the lounge, but paused at the entrance and raised his wrist to his mouth to tap a button with his lip.

"Karen? Where's Nutmeg?"

The reply was immediate.

_"In the command room, still asleep."_

Not too surprising, Peter supposed. Despite the longer distance the detour made the walk, he swung by the little secured room and retrieved his kitten before going back to his quarters. Nutmeg snuggled into his sling, easily, and was already dozing off, again, when they reached his bedroom. He kicked off his shoes, but didn't bother changing out of anything else, and eased himself into the bed thinking that it would probably take him a while to go to sleep/

He was wrong, though; and when Tony asked Friday to check on him via Karen less than fifteen minutes later, the AI was able to report that Peter was sleeping soundly, with Nutmeg tucked against his side, purring.

OOOOOOOOO

It was Tony and Stephen who woke Peter. He heard them before he felt someone sit on the edge of his bed and opened his eyes just as Tony reached out to brush his hand against the boy's forehead. Stark smiled down at him.

"Hey, sunshine."

Peter rolled his eyes, but he smiled, still sleepy.

"It's time to get up?"

"If you're feeling up to it, yes. Among other things."

Stephen stepped up to the bed, as well, and Peter noticed, now, that while the doctor was dressed sharply in his usual perfect suit, Tony was dressed somewhat sharper than was the norm for when he was rattling around in the compound. It definitely wasn't the same clothes that he'd been wearing at lunch.

"What things?" Peter asked, curiously, moving when Stephen ge4stured for him to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Secret _Avenger_ things," the billionaire told his son, cheerfully. "Let Stephen here check and make sure you're up for it, and then we'll help you get ready."

"Do you know what he's up to?" Peter asked Alec.

"_I do, but I won't ruin his fun by telling you."_

Peter turned his attention to what Stephen was doing, answering the questions put to him and then holding still like he was told while Strange checked the bandages protecting his arm and hand.

"He looks good, Tony," Strange told his friend. "How do you feel, Peter? Rested?"

"I'm okay. Is Pepper home, yet?"

"She is," Tony told him. "But she's getting ready. Come on; get up so we can get you ready, too."

He didn't bother to ask what they were getting ready for, again, certain he knew what the answer would be. Instead, he got up and watched as Tony and Stephen walked over to his closet and began a mumbled conversation, with both men occasionally pulling out a shirt, or a pair of slacks, more discussion and then it would go back into the closet and a different article of clothing was debated over.

Eventually the two agreed, and Tony brought over a pair of black slacks, a lavender-colored button down shirt and a jacket that matched the pants.

"Come on, Cinderella," he said with an amused smile. "Let's get you dressed."

"I don't need help."

"I'll bet you twenty dollar that you do," Stephen told him.

Peter rolled his eyes and got up off the bed and found out almost immediately that Strange was, indeed correct. With only one arm, Peter definitely needed help, and the doctor was the one who carefully out Peter's bandaged arm through the sleeve of the shirt – using a little magic to make sure the fit was right, when the arm was a bit larger than the sleeve. The sling went back on to protect him, and Tony put the jacket over his son's shoulders.

"I want that twenty in ones," Strange said, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his own shoulder as they did a quick check to make sure Peter's hair looked alright.

"I'll give it to you in pennies."

Tony smiled and the two men headed for the door.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To the gym."

"Why?"

"To play basketball. Come on."

Peter shook his head and walked between the two as they headed down the corridor. Instead of asking – _again_ – what was going on, he asked Stephen what he'd done that day.

"Some research," was the reply. "I'm trying to find out what Nutmeg is."

"Did you?"

The kitten had been sleeping on Peter's bed and showed no inclination to want to move when they had.

"No."

"What did Wong say?"

"He's in China. I'll ask him about it, later."

Before Peter could say anything else, they rounded the corner to the corridor that the gym ended at, and the boy saw that the door was open and it was definitely not looking the way that it usually did. Decorations of silver and gold festooned the place, with lights, and ribbons and moving designs on the walls. It was somewhat dimmer than usual, with tables of food on one side of the room and drinks on the other, with what was clearly a dance floor separating the two. There were tables all around the room and gentle music being piped in – almost certainly by Friday.

Peter stopped at the door, surprised, but before he could say anything the room was suddenly filled with people. All were dressed like he was; nicely. The men in suits and the women wearing dresses. Not so formal as tuxedoes and gowns, but still nicely. He realized in the single glance he had that they were all Avengers or SHIELD agents – as well as the guardians and some of the military people who were still at the compound.

"What-?"

Pepper and Natasha walked up to join them, interrupting. Romanoff was wearing a simple green dress that showed off her figure, with her hair cascading down the side of her neck in artful curls, while Pepper's dress was black and hugged her curves just right. Both women were smiling, looking pleased with themselves.

"Surprise," Pepper said, lightly. "Welcome to your own private homecoming."

Peter smiled, looking around.

"You did this for me?"

"We did," Tony told him, putting an arm around Pepper's waist. "We couldn't invite your friends – except Shuri; they'd be more company than you're really ready for, just yet, but Shuri's here, and Clint brought his kids, so Lila is here, somewhere. You'll have plenty of company and not so much stress that Stephen will get that worried look that he gets, sometimes."

The doctor rolled his eyes, more amused than annoyed. He was used to Tony, after all.

"It was the best we could do," Pepper told him. "We know how disappointed you were about missing your dance."

"It's great," Peter assured her. He hugged her, one-armed. "Thank you."

"We had a lot of help," she told him, holding him close for a moment and then pressing a kiss against his cheek as she released him. "Stephen decorated – with a bit of supervision by Natasha."

"You have two hours," Strange told him, stepping up to put his arm around Natasha. "Enjoy yourself – but don't overdo it."

"Wow."

Peter didn't have a chance to say anything else. Shuri walked over, dressed in a bright yellow dress that was vivid against her darker skin but still wasn't as bright as her smile.

"Peter… isn't it beautiful? Like when Tony and Pepper were married."

"Yeah. It's nice."

She offered him her hand.

"Come dance with me – before Lila finds you and cuts in."


	96. Chapter 96

"I can't believe you're not hovering over him…"

Strange ignored the remark, but did glance over Natasha's shoulder at Peter, who was dancing with Lila Barton, who had found him only a few minutes into the first dance that the boy had started with Shuri. Lila had been delicately briefed by her parents and was being very careful not to hurt Peter's injured arm and hand. She was chattering away as they danced but was only holding his left side.

"He doesn't _need_ me to hover, right now," the doctor told his dance partner. "He has Lila and Shuri."

She smiled at that and settled her cheek on his shoulder, always enjoying the fact that he was just the right height for her to do that.

"And later?"

"Then I'll send him to bed. It was clever of Tony to make him rest all afternoon so he could have a good time this evening, but he's not ready for prolonged activity, yet. He'll be ready to go back to bed in a few hours."

"You told him _two_."

The doctor smirked.

"So I could allow him to talk me into a little longer…"

She chuckled.

"Smooth."

"Old doctor trick. They teach us that in our first year. I'll end his party around eleven – earlier if he starts flagging."

OOOOOOOO

"I don't understand the custom…"

Quill looked around the gym, smiling, before he turned to Drax.

"It's not complicated. You find a partner and dance – or sit around and eat or drink."

"I'm going to drink," Rocket said.

The guardians were all invited, of course, and had willingly gone to the homecoming dance that was set up for Peter. Most of the participants already knew about the more alien members of the group and had become used to their presence by now.

"Dance with me, Gamora?"

She smiled, charmed by Peter as she usually was when he was in a cheerful mood like he was, just then.

"Yes."

Star Lord led her out onto the dance floor, while the others moved toward one of the tables of food and snacks.

"They are all happy," Mantis said, looking around. "It's very relaxing."

She was relaxed because of it, and her friends approved.

"_Puppy!" _

A squeal of delight was the only warning Rocket had before tiny hands grabbed him, and little arms wrapped around his neck from behind. His ears went flat to his head and he bared his teeth, showing the razor-sharp canines.

"Nate!"

Clint Barton was quick to rescue the racoon from his toddler son, who had homed in on the walking teddy bear almost as soon as his father had put him down. The archer scooped Nathaniel up into his arms and the little boy chortled, happily, more than willing to be held.

"Hey," Rocket complained. "Keep your offspring in check, will you?"

"Sorry about that," Clint said, smirking now that his boy was safely in his arms. "He's excited, is all."

"I am groot…?"

"He wants to hold it," Rocket translated.

"_It_ is my son. Nathaniel," Clint said. He looked over at his wife, and then shrugged and handed the toddler over to the tree, who took him with exaggerated care. "Don't drop him."

"I am groot."

The toddler squealed, happily, grabbing several limbs at once.

"He says go dance; he'll watch him."

Laura looked a little uncertain, but Rocket shrugged.

"He's not going to eat him. Go ahead."

The archer smiled at his wife and offered her his hand.

"You heard the puppy. Let's go dance. Let us know when you get tired of him."

Groot was already studying the small human with interest, and Rocket rolled his eyes, waiting for the adults to walk away.

"You can't keep him."

"I am groot."

"I know they have three, but yes, they _will_ miss one."

OOOOOOO

"Can I cut in?"

Lila looked like she wanted to say no, but she was learning the etiquette of formal dances and knew that saying no wasn't acceptable. Besides, she liked Pepper – and Tony.

"Yes."

Peter smiled down at her.

"Thank you for keeping me company."

Which made her smile.

"You're welcome."

She skipped off to find someone else to dance with.

"Where's Tony?" Peter asked, curiously, as he offered her his hand, and she carefully tucked the other near his side, under the sling.

"Dancing with Shuri – who I know would rather dance with _you_."

Which made Peter smile.

"Thank you," he said. "For the dance, I mean."

"I know it isn't as good as the real thing – with your school friends – but we thought it might be better than nothing."

"It's great. Really."

He was just amazed – as he always was – by just how much they were willing to do for him to make him happy.

"_Because they love you,"_ Alec told him. "_Don't be dumb."_

The boy rolled his eyes and put his arm around the woman he called mom.

"Thank you," he said, again.

"You're welcome."

OOOOOOOO

It was closer to ten than it was to eleven when Peter finally started to tire.

Technically, it was a lot earlier than that when he started feeling tired, but he was reluctant to say anything – and unwilling to stop the party that he was enjoying so much. He'd danced with every female in the room – including Gamora, who was graceful, Mantis, who was enigmatic and seemed to actually be having a conversation with _Alec_ and not himself.

Peter walked toward the bar, and was greeted by Grady, who was wearing a formal uniform rather than a suit. The colonel was talking to Lyle and Nick Fury.

"Great party, Peter," Grady said, looking around with approval. "I'm going to miss the spontaneity Tony Stark is capable of coming up with."

"You guys are leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Lyle confirmed. He offered Peter his hand, cheerfully. "My general needs me."

"And I'm taking my men home. We aren't needed here, and we're always able to find some trouble to get into back home."

"Thanks for coming."

Both military men nodded.

"Come for a visit when you're feeling better," Grady invited.

"Thank you."

Not surprisingly, Strange found him almost the moment he decided to find a place to sit once he separated from Fury and the military guys.

"Taking a break?"

"Yeah."

The doctor nodded, the inevitable hand coming to Peter's forehead.

"How's the hand?"

"Aches a little," Peter admitted.

"Find someone to have your last dance with," he told the boy. "Then we'll call it."

Peter smiled. He wasn't going to argue; he figured that he was lucky to have had as much time as he'd been allowed.

"Where's _Natasha_?"

Strange rolled his eyes and looked to his left, where Natasha was waiting – as if she'd known who Peter's last dance of the night was going to be with. Which she did, of course. Peter's glance followed the doctor's and he got up, offering her his hand, which she took with her own smile.

"Hi, baby. Got enough left in you for one more dance?"

Peter nodded, and Stephen watched as they walked out onto the dance floor, just as another slow song started.

"Is he alright?" Tony asked, walking over.

"He's fine. Just ready for his dance to end. It was a good idea, though."

"_All_ my ideas are good ideas."

"This one was _Pepper's_ idea, from what I understand."

Stark smirked.

"We're _married_. What's hers is mine."

"Including credit for good ideas?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Why not indeed? Strange simply shook his head, and then gave the billionaire a smile of his own.

"I think I'll see if that wife of yours wants to dance…"

Since his partner was taken by the guest of honor.

"You do that. I'm going to see what _Lila_ is doing."

The dance was winding down, after all, and he hadn't had many chances to dance with her. He passed Shuri, who was dancing with Steve; he and Carol were going back to the farm for the rest of the weekend, but they had come for the dance. The princess had worked her way through several partners, as well – including Cooper, Barton's son, who was clearly smitten with the idea of dancing with a princess.

He hadn't been the only one, of course. Shuri had even convinced Groot to dance with her – and Rocket, once. Only Drax had refused her advances, and he'd admitted that it was because he didn't like women in yellow.

And dancing.

Or princesses.

"Where's your daughter, Clint?"

Barton winked, gesturing toward a sofa that was along the wall. His daughter had fallen asleep and was being cuddled by Sirah, who looked about as relaxed and calm as Tony had ever seen her in the short time that she'd been in the compound.

"Turns out she's really good with children," Clint said, softly, even though there was zero chance that he was going to wake his daughter from across the room.

"Yeah? That's good to know."

But now he didn't have anyone to dance with.


	97. Chapter 97

Peter figured that he must be getting better. Healthier, anyway. Tony and Stephen walked him to his room, but neither had stayed once the doctor had checked him out, quickly, and Tony had helped him out of the dress clothing that he was wearing and into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. They'd simply asked if he needed anything and when he'd shaken his head, they'd left, reminding him to have Karen tell Friday if he needed anything.

No one was hovering, and that was always a good sign, right?

"_Incoming call from Ned."_

"Thanks, Karen." He didn't bother with his phone. Instead, he propped himself against the mountain of pillows on his bed, facing the TV. "Put him on the TV, will you please?"

A moment later his friend came on the screen.

"_Hey."_

"Hi. How was homecoming?"

Ned's expression was a little concerned.

"_Have you heard anything about it?"_

"No. I've been busy, tonight. Why? What happened?"

"_Nothing. There was some dancing and food. What did you do? How were you busy?"_

"Pepper and Tony set up a private homecoming dance for me, since I couldn't go to the one at school."

"_That's cool."_

"Yeah. It was great. Shuri was there, and Clint brought his kids and his wife, and Dena and the guardians were – "

"_Was Sirah there?"_

"Yeah. She didn't dance, though. I think she thinks we're crazy, really."

"_Did she have something hot on?"_

Peter rolled his eyes.

"Just a dress."

"_Did you get pictures of Natasha?"_

"I didn't take any pictures," he admitted to his friend, smiling when Nutmeg suddenly jumped up onto the bed and walked across his chest. The kitten was light enough, still, that he didn't even make Peter's bandaged arm hurt when he stuck his little body into the space between Peter's sling and his side. "But there probably are some good ones. I'll see what Karen can find, in the morning, and send them out to you. None with aliens, though."

"_Sirah doesn't even _look_ like an alien,"_ Ned pointed out. _"Not like the girl with the antennae on her head – or Gamora. Find some with her, too."_

"I'll think about it." He hesitated. "Was MJ there?"

"_Yeah. She went with Bobby – but everyone knows he wasn't her _date_; it was just a sympathy thing."_

"What was she wearing?"

"_A blue dress – like the one she wore to the formal, only not so fancy."_

Peter nodded.

"I asked Tony about you coming out next week. Unless something happens, he said that it was a good idea."

Ned's face lit up.

"_Sweet. Make sure nothing happens, will you?"_

"I'll try."

"_How's the hand?"_

"It's okay. Hurts a bit."

"_Full recovery though, right? I mean, you're still going to be able to do your thing…?"_

"Yeah, _Definitely_."

He hadn't heard anyone say otherwise, but then he realized that if there was any kind of concern, they wouldn't mention it him. Not until they knew for sure, one way or the other. But what if there _was_ a concern and no one was telling him. What if it didn't heal right and he couldn't be-

"_You heal fine and no one's worried about that,"_ Alec interrupted before Peter could really start to worry himself. _"Strange would be the first to be concerned, but he knows your abilities and he's seen you through worse, and he isn't even considering anything like that. Relax."_

He felt the sudden beginning of the panic attack fade in the face of the ancient sorcerer's logic. Alec would know. He was right. Peter didn't ask the being in his mind to spy on the thoughts of those around him, but that didn't mean that he didn't know what they were thinking and worried about. If anyone would know, it was Alec.

"_Exactly. Now talk to Ned before he thinks you've gone bonkers."_

"I'm fine," he assured his friend. "Tell me what else you did. What have I been missing?"

He was eager to hear what his friends were up to – and Ned was always so observant (and nosy) he was definitely the one to ask.

OOOOOOOOO

"How was China?"

"Quiet. How was homecoming?"

"It was enjoyable." Any chance he had to dance with Natasha was nice, as far as Strange was concerned. "Did you have any chance to look at the image I sent you?"

Wong nodded. While there hadn't been any video cameras or footage of what Nutmeg had done in Peter's room, Stephen had used a spell to pull an image of what he'd seen directly from his own thoughts and put it on a piece of paper. It wasn't video, and it wasn't moving, but it showed tiny Nutmeg with huge (compared to the size of the kitten) tentacles coming from his mouth.

"I've never seen anything like it, but I showed it to the magicians in China, and Xia is almost certain Nutmeg is a Flerkin."

"A Flerkin?"

Wong nodded, and walked over to the island in the kitchen, where an ancient book was sitting – already open to the right page.

"Yes. It certainly matches the image you sent."

Strange looked at the small paragraph of information and the picture that was drawn next to it. A cat in one picture and a huge, tentacled, creature in the next.

"'_Extremely rare, extremely dangerous animal with human level intellect that happen to look like felines. Egg layers, hunted to near extinction because they are so feared. Huge maw of tentacles and teeth and an inner pocket dimension that allows them to eat anything without being destroyed by it._'"

He looked at Wong, who was smiling rather than concerned.

"Peter has a Flerkin."

It certainly seemed so.

"That isn't going to sit well with Tony and Pepper."

"It _should_," Wong told his friend. "Nutmeg likes Peter. The kid couldn't have a more dangerous bodyguard. Even if Natasha isn't around, Nutmeg _can_ be. Bad guy comes up? '_Hey, kid, come with us or die'_? Gobble, gobble… no more bad guy."

"We can't have him _eating_ would-be kidnappers."

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't-" Strange shook his head; people thought Natasha was coldblooded, he knew (and so did _she_) but Wong was always right up there, giving that reputation a run for the money. "Where did he come from, if they're so rare?"

"Who knows?" Wong shrugged, unconcerned. "You know magical items are drawn to the sanctums, maybe magical aliens are too – and Peter just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Or maybe he was drawn to _Peter_, specifically. Other artifacts like him – why can't a Flerkin? I'll remind you that he was in the sanctum for a couple of weeks and didn't cause much trouble. Aside from kitten-related things, of course."

"Ugh."

"If it worries you so much, don't tell anyone. I won't."

"No. They need to know. Tony, Pepper and Natasha, anyway. They can decide who else they want to let know."

"And _Peter_?"

"Yes. He should probably know, too. I know that he's already been told what we saw the kitten do."

"And?"

"And he asked Tony if he'd been _drinking_."

Wong snorted, amused.

"It might be interesting to do some experiments, later," the sorcerer said, speculatively. "If he has a pocket dimension, maybe we can utilize it, somehow."

"We're not going to experiment on Peter's kitten. He wouldn't approve, and Nutmeg might get annoyed. For now, I'll talk to Tony about it, later, and let him decide what to do."

"Peter won't give him up," Wong advised. "You probably know that, right?"

"Yes." He'd been present for Peter's meltdown when Tony had suggested it, initially. And that was before they had a name to put to the creature. "I'm aware."

"Life certainly is interesting with that kid, isn't it?"

Wong approved.

Strange nodded and stretched, looking down at himself.

"It is, at that. I'm going to bed."

Everything could wait until morning.


	98. Chapter 98

The background of the Astral plane was usually whatever the person walking it wanted it to be. In this instance, however, it was pure brilliance. A white so bright that it might have been blinding if not for the fact that the whiteness wasn't actually real. It was simply an illusion of the lack of any light. Despite it not being the color of his choice, Stephen Strange knew immediately where he was, and as he looked around, waiting, he wasn't surprised when he saw three other figures coming out of that whiteness, walking toward him, but looking around.

"Are _you_ doing this?" Tony Stark asked Strange as soon as they 'reached' him.

"No. I don't have that ability, Tony. You know that."

Natasha looked around with interest as she stopped beside Stephen.

"Where is he?"

"Who?" Pepper asked. She was looking around with a mixture of uncertainty and interest. She'd been left out the last time that they'd been brought to the Astral plane, but Tony had told her all about it and was quick enough to figure out where they were. "Alec?"

"Has to be him," Strange said with a shrug. "No one else could bring us all here without asking, first."

"_Correct."_ The voice was in their heads, as it had been the first time they'd met him. A moment later the alien form of the ancient sorcerer walked toward them – and Pepper stared. "_I apologize for the inconvenience"_, the voice in their minds said. _"But it's easier to speak with all of you, here, rather than try to connect with you, individually, elsewhere."_

"Is Peter alright?" Pepper asked, automatically.

"_All things considered? He's doing amazingly well. He's part of the reason I wanted to talk to you all together."_

"Only _part_ of the reason?" Stephen asked. "There's _more_?"

"_The infinity stones cannot be allowed to remain on earth together any longer than it takes Peter to heal enough to open the polymorph."_

"I want mine back."

"_And you should have it back – and the Mind stone definitely needs to go back where it belongs. It would be tempting, however, to think that it would be easier to protect them if they are in the same place, but that much concentrated power is a powder keg waiting for a spark."_

"What do you suggest?" Tony asked.

"_That's up to you. And to Peter, really, since he's the one who will have final say."_

"Does he want to keep them?" Natasha asked, curiously.

"_He hasn't thought about it beyond wanting his hand to be healed so he can still be Spiderman."_

Pepper looked at Stephen, worried.

"Is that a concern?"

"No. he's healing well and there's no reason to believe he won't have full use of the hand when he's finished with any therapy he might need."

"Okay, we can deal with the stones," Tony told Alec. "That's not a problem, really. But it gives us something to think about. Peter's reasonable. And he doesn't want to rule the world, so he's probably not going to give us a lot of pushback on it."

"_True."_

"What about _Peter_?" Pepper asked. "What can we do for him? He seems so sad, lately. He hides it, but you can see it in his eyes when he doesn't know you're watching him."

"_He's had a rough time,"_ Alec told her. He didn't even think twice about making sure they all knew what was going on in Peter's head. His people didn't have privacy issues, after all. _"And had to make a decision that no one should have to make – especially someone his age and with his history."_

"What was it?"

"_You know of the soul stone?"_

"It was the one he got from Sirah," Pepper said.

"No. That was the _reality_ stone," Tony corrected. "The soul stone was on the same planet, though."

"_Correct. It's by far the hardest stone to collect – which is why it rarely is heard of."_

"Because…?"

"_Because to possess the stone demands a sacrifice. You have to lose the one you love most."_

Tony frowned.

"But-"

"_The sacrifice was chosen for Peter long before he went seeking the stone."_

"May…" Stephen said, softly.

"_Yes."_

"Then what decision did he have to make?" Natasha asked, curiously. "If that was already done, then there wasn't a choice for him to make."

And what a horrible thing to have to decide.

"_He saw her,"_ Alec told them. "_In the soul stone. After his snap injured him so terribly."_

"How would he be able to see her?" Pepper asked. "If she's gone, I mean…"

"_The soul stone is the repository for every soul that has ever been. Everyone – every _creature_ – that has ever been ends up there."_

"But Peter was alive, still. How could-"

"We lost him, _twice_, on the table," Strange told them. His expression plainly told them just how terrible that had been for him. "That means that he was, _technically_, dead."

"_Correct,"_ Alec agreed_. "So he had the choice – given him by the universe – presented to him by the one that he loved most in the world. Stay with her – and his parents – and be at peace in the park for eternity."_

"Or come back to us," Tony finished.

"_Correct. It wasn't as hard as you might think; Peter loves you all very much."_

"But still…" Pepper said, her hand reaching for Tony's. "No wonder he's so upset."

"_It's the biggest reason, yes,"_ Alec told them. _"He thoroughly enjoyed the dance though – just so you know. That was a great idea."_

"What do we do about the flerkin?" Strange asked.

"The what?"

"Nutmeg."

"_Keep him close to Peter. Flerkin have ambient abilities. He can assist Peter's healing if he remains close."_

"Wait. What? He can heal?"

"What's a Flerkin?" Natasha asked.

They could all sense amusement from the being in front of them – although his face wasn't intended to show such an emotion.

"_A Flerkin is an incredible creature. Rare, even when my people lived, and considered fantasies – like your unicorn. And no, they can't heal, but they augment – like the artifact that you call the Cloak of Levitation. Peter is capable of healing – all beings are, of course – but his enhanced abilities are impressive enough to heal himself much quicker and efficiently as you already know. With Nutmeg close at hand, it will increase that natural ability."_

"If he doesn't _eat_ him, first."

Another snort of amusement – still only in their head, but more sincere because of it.

"_He's not a danger to Peter – or any of you. But put him and the cloak around Peter for an extended period of time, and he'll be on his feet even sooner."_

"Tell me about the light," Strange requested, realizing that they only had so much time on the plane before Alec would need to end the conversation and wanting as many answers as he could get. "What was it?"

"The power stone doing what it was intended to do, all along."

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Well, okay then. Question answered. Let's go home."

The alien sorcerer wasn't offended by the sarcasm. He'd been in Peter's head long enough to know Tony well, by then.

"_The infinity stones are the supreme power in the universe. There are a few other items that are as powerful as _one_, perhaps, but when combined like they were and wielded by someone who could focus that energy, they surpass anything that has ever been – or ever _will_. Each stone, separately, is potent in its own perspective; the mind stone can interact with any being with a conscience, the time stone controls time – of course – the reality the same only with how things are perceived and so on. But the _power_ stone is just that; a stone with incredible power. Innate ability to do whatever needs to be done – or whatever the bearer wants it to do. In the hands of someone like Thanos, it is capable of incredible destruction – of the loss of all life in the universe, but it doesn't have to be so."_

"Peter could never have decimated a planet," Natasha said. "Not like Thanos did."

"_Of course not. The stones know that, too. One of the reasons the universe chose him. When Peter gathered the stones – and then stole the power stone from Thanos – the stones were aligned and subject to Peter's will. I admit, it was a little touch and go for a moment – the pain and the mental anguish he was subjected to when gathering the soul stone had him a little unstable – but he was able to focus enough to tell the power stone what he wanted, and then unleash the power of the infinity stones to make it happen."_

"_You_ told him what to do?" Tony asked.

"_No. I don't have any control over him, like that. I helped keep him steady, though, and might have reminded him that Natasha and many others were hurt – and the rest of you were in danger of being overrun."_

"So, when he snapped, the stones were thinking heal and get rid of the threat…" Stephen murmured.

"_Exactly."_ More amusement. _"They might have gone a little overboard; _Peter_ was thinking the earth, but the power unleashed would have destroyed your planet had it been confined to one simple ball of rock, and so it had to be expelled out into the universe."_

"It's still going, too…?"

"_Might continue until the end of time, and for all anyone knows, that same light might hit the end of the universe – wherever that may be – in a million, trillion years, and bounce back and do it all over, again."_

"Incredible."

"_It really is,"_ Alec agreed_. "He's an incredible guy – and he has no idea. He just thinks he's bad luck and a freak."_

"What do we do about that?"

"_Exactly what you're already doing. You four – and the others – are the stability that keeps him going, even when the most terrible things happen around him. And more, you don't hold him back. The spider bite had many physical side-effects; the strength, the agility, the infertility and those spider senses – as you call them – but they also unbalanced him, emotionally and mentally. Spiders and humans are so very different, it's to his credit that he didn't go crazy the day after it happened."_

"Which is what _you're_ here to repair," Strange said.

"_Right. My kind were natural mind healers – and I'm more powerful than the rest – although I have a feeling the universe duped _me_, as well. The timing was too perfect for my purpose to only have been to assist Peter regaining his equilibrium."_

Natasha smiled. It was amusing to her to think that someone as powerful and clever as a long dead sorcerer supreme could be tricked into helping save the universe.

"So you're sticking around?"

"_Until Peter doesn't need me. He's-"_

"Wait." Pepper was frowning. "_Infertility_?"

"_The hybridization of spider and human is at a genetic level. It _had_ to be, otherwise Peter would have lost his abilities the minute his cells regenerated the first time after the bite. But you all know that a mix of two vastly different species will only present a sterile offspring – if the result survives, at all_."

"Peter can't have kids?" Tony asked, looking stricken. He'd been looking forward to the time – way in the future, thank you very much – of seeing his boy find someone and settle down and having little ones that would call him grandpa. "But-"

"Don't panic, Tony," Stephen said before Alec could reply. "I've already started looking into it."

"You knew?"

"I _suspected_ – Wong and I both did, when we first met him – but Shuri's scans in Wakanda when he was so sick confirmed it."

"Does _Peter_ know?" Natasha asked.

Alec shook his head.

"_No. And I would suggest you not add anything else to what he already has to deal with by telling him."_

"Yeah. Definitely." Tony agreed, immediately, and Pepper nodded, too. "But-"

"Don't worry," Strange interrupted. "I've had a lot of reason to look into reversing infertility, lately, and Wong is helping with the research. If there's a fix, we'll find it."

That particular comment made Tony give his friend a sidelong glance that was more speculation than panic – and made Natasha stare at him, outright.

"Anything else you want to know?" Alec asked, pointedly. "My time is short – and you guys need to get some real sleep."

And he needed to get back to Peter.

Tony nodded.

"Is there anything that he wants? Something that he's longing for, and just hasn't told us because he thinks it's too crazy?"

"_Funny you should ask…"_ Alec told him. _"Because you might have a conversation with Peter Quill when your son's bandages come off."_

"Oh? I'm listening…"


	99. Chapter 99

Peter woke slowly, but was aware of several things almost immediately as he did. He was a little warmer than he had been the morning before when he woke, there was a familiar lullaby being hummed in the back of his mind and something tiny that felt like it weighed a hundred pounds was curled in a ball purring in the middle of his chest.

He opened his eyes, a little confused, and saw that the sun was well up to judge by the brightness of his bedroom. The Cloak of Levitation was draped across his other blankets and was caressing his cheek, suddenly, now that he was awake, and his kitten was the source of the purring – _not_ surprisingly. The lullaby stopped – although the caresses didn't.

"Is Stephen here, then?" he asked it.

There was a confirmation and a feeling of amusement, which was shared by Alec, Peter realized.

"What's so funny?" he asked, sleepily, wondering how he was going to get up to go to the bathroom with Nutmeg looking so comfortable on him.

_"Your folks never cease to amaze – or amuse – me_," Alec replied. He didn't tell Peter why, though, and the boy had a feeling that he probably didn't want to know. _"Good afternoon."_

"It's _afternoon_?" He looked at the TV display, since his left hand was under the blankets – and the cloak – and his right was still in the bandages and sling and didn't have the watch on, anyway. The display assured him that it was after one o'clock. "Wow… I slept late."

"_You needed the rest, then,"_ Alec assured him.

"No one woke me to make me eat?"

He tried to think back and remember, but he didn't remember anything. He had to assume, though, that everything was alright. Otherwise someone would be hovering in the bed with him – watching for any indication that something was wrong with him. He supposed that most kids his age would hate that suggestion that the adults around him were so smothering, but (to _himself_, anyway) Peter wallowed in the love that it represented.

"_I'm to let Friday know when you wake,"_ Karen told him. _"Are you awake? Or going back to sleep?"_

"I'm awake. Thanks."

He stretched as well as he could without rolling Nutmeg off his perch, but the kitten opened an eye at the motion and stretched as well, claws all coming out and a mighty yawn showing an impressive array of tiny, sharp, teeth. Peter reached out with his left hand and slid a finger along the kitten's face, looking for any sign of tentacles with a snort of amusement.

"_Don't be so quick to shrug it off,"_ Alec told him, also amused – although his was aimed at Peter. _"They aren't crazy."_

"Yeah? Nutmeg's a kitten octopus? A _kittopuss_?"

"_The correct word is _Flerkin_,"_ Alec corrected with a silent chuckle. Even as he said it, the Mind stone supplied an image in his head of a yellow cat – much older than Nutmeg. It was normal enough looking, and then – just like Tony had described – huge tentacles emerged from its mouth, complete with all kinds of razor sharp teeth. Before Peter had a chance to do more than stare, Nutmeg flopped back down on his chest, batting playfully at a corner of the cloak and Alec spoke up, again_. "He's probably one of the rarest creatures in the universe, and one of the _deadliest_."_

Peter felt a surge of worry. Not for himself, the ancient sorcerer noticed, immediately.

"Do they _know_?"

What if Tony made him get rid of Nutmeg? He wouldn't be allowed to keep something so dangerous. What would he do? Nutmeg was only a _baby_. He couldn't take care of himself. He'd be all alone. And-

"_Stop_." Alec didn't have any control over Peter, but he was as intimately close to him as he could be, and a mental powerhouse. _"They know, and they're fine. They're not going to make you get rid of him. He's sitting on you, isn't he? None of them are hovering to make sure he doesn't eat you. Relax."_

"But-"

"_He's _deadly_, Peter, but no threat to you or your world. Ask Carol. She knew one. And Nick. Although _he_ might not really be the one to reassure. Just don't freak out on this. He's not going anywhere; Tony and Pepper already have decided that he's good for you."_

There was another brief feeling of amusement, from Alec _and_ from the cloak – which was playing keep away from the kitten that was now stalking it.

"I thought he was just a lost stray…"

"_He _was_ a lost stray,"_ Alec agreed.

"Where did he come from? Did you know what he was all along?"

_"Not until he gave himself away in front of Tony and the others – then I saw what they saw. I can't get into his mind like I can others – no more than I can see what Jack's thinking, or Ironpig."_

"Wow…" Peter's panic had already faded, and now he was beginning to study the kitten, closer – but he didn't look any different, even knowing what he could do. "He really ate the teleportation stone?"

"_Yes."_

"So it's gone forever? Or will he poop it out? Like Jack did with Pepper's thumb drive?"

More amusement.

"_No. Neither. His kind are a lot bigger on the inside than they look. I imagine the thing will just sit in the interdimensional pocket until the next time you need it and summon it."_

Peter frowned.

"Won't that hurt him?"

"_When you summon it, the teleportation stone doesn't come flying all the distance from wherever it was to land in your hand, right?"_

"Right. It just appears."

"_So it isn't going to fly out of him – or tear through his little body to get where it wants to be. It'll just pop over to you. _Try it_."_

He hesitated, though, looking at his kitten and wiggling his finger until Nutmeg switched his assault from the cloak to the digit, little teeth gnawing on Peter's knuckle.

"I don't need it, right now," Peter finally said, shrugging and using his hand to flip Nutmeg onto his back so he could rub the furry belly. "It can stay where it is, for now."

Before Alec could reply, there was a knock on his outer door and then the sound of it opening. Peter looked at his bedroom door in time to see Tony poke his head into the room.

"Awake?"

Peter nodded, and Nutmeg flipped himself back over, watching as Stark walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah. Everything okay?"

"Yup." Tony picked Nutmeg up, rubbing the top of his head with the free hand. "We're just hanging out, today… Lazy Saturday. How do you feel?"

"Pretty good."

"Tired?"

"No. I slept really good. No dreams – at least none that I remember."

"Hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Well, why don't you get dressed and meet us in the lounge? We'll have lunch, you can have breakfast and we'll spend the rest of the lazy Saturday together."

"Sounds good. Shuri's still here?"

He didn't think that she'd leave without saying goodbye, but things happened, sometimes, and she might have needed to go home for something.

"She is. Stephen's here, too. Gradymatson and the military liaisons all left this morning, but they said they told you goodbye last night, so we didn't wake you."

"Yeah. No, we did. He said to come visit, sometime."

Tony nodded.

"He told me that, too. Maybe we will. It might be fun to hang out with him when he's not pulling our chestnuts out of the fire, right?"

Peter smiled.

"Probably. He told me it's his job to save superheroes, though, so he'd probably come up with a crisis or something."

The billionaire rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Get dressed. I'll be in the lounge with your kitten. Fifteen minutes or I'm throwing him in the soup pot."

"He's pretty scrawny… _Ironpig_ might be a better choice…"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

Tony winked at him and left, still carrying the kitten, and Peter smiled at his retreating back.

"You were right; he doesn't seem too worried about him."

"_I'm always right, Peter_," Alec told him. _"I thought you knew that by now."_

Now it was the boy's turn to roll his eyes, and he waited for the cloak to move so he could push his blankets aside and get up to get dressed and start his day – abbreviated though it was going to be since he'd slept so late.

It was still promising to be a good one.


	100. Chapter 100

Peter found Tony, Pepper and Shuri sitting in the lounge when he arrived, but no one else. He walked over and sat down by Pepper, who smiled a greeting at him, reaching out and brushing her fingers along his cheek.

"Hi, sweetheart," she told him, her expression bearing that look that she held almost exclusively for him. One that he loved so much it made his heart happy. "Finally woke up?"

"Yeah. Sorry I slept in."

"I'm not. You probably needed the sleep."

"And now he won't be _grumpy_," Tony added, winking at Shuri, who smiled. "Grumpy Peter is not very much fun."

Peter rolled his eyes at that, looking around.

"Where is everyone?"

"It's _Saturday_," Tony reminded him. "Everyone's off doing their own thing. Carol and Steve went back to Clint's. The guardians are wandering around somewhere; last check, Groot was playing on the Quinjet simulator with Rocket and Peter and the others are doing whatever space pirates do when they're not in space."

"Are they _really_ space pirates?" Shuri asked, her eyes excited.

"Probably _not_," the billionaire admitted. He smirked. "It's fun to say, though."

"Stephen and Natasha should be coming, soon," Pepper added. "They were planning on having lunch with us."

"There they are," Shuri said.

She had the spot that faced the entrance to the lounge and was able to see them enter, but Peter turned and looked over his shoulder, watching as Stephen and Natasha walked over. Romanoff went behind Peter and wrapped her arms around him, cloak and all, before pressing her cheek against his.

"Hey, baby," she murmured in his ear. "How was the nap?"

"Good."

"Fourteen hours hardly qualifies as a nap," Strange pointed out as he pulled a chair out for Natasha and then seated himself when she'd joined him. "But you look better for having had the rest."

"I feel okay."

"How is your hand?" Shuri asked, watching while Tony reached over to put Nutmeg in the boy's lap.

For some reason the action made Alec chuckle in the back of the boy's mind. Peter didn't bother to ask what was so funny. He looked down at the sling and the bandages that were covering the damaged hand, just in time to watch Nutmeg crawl into the spot that he'd clearly decided was a perfect den for a small kitten.

"It feels okay. Just hurts a little."

But he was getting used to it hurting, so he wasn't complaining.

"It's a good excuse to not play cards," Tony said. "So when we're done eating, we'll find a board game or something similar to amuse ourselves."

"Unless you would rather do something else," Pepper added, smiling a thank you to the server who brought several platters filled with the makings for tacos or burritos. "You don't have to spend time with us if you don't want to."

Just because they wanted to hover over him without making it seem like they were, it didn't mean Peter wanted to spend his afternoon with them. Especially since Shuri was there, and she was much closer to his age than the rest of them.

"No. I want to," the boy assured her, sincerely. "But you guys can play cards, if you want. I don't mind watching."

He was feeling a little groggy, still, and almost numb. But he was glad to be allowed out of bed.

"We'll discuss it when we're done," Tony replied, reaching for a stack of taco shells and handing a couple to Pepper, since he knew she preferred those over burritos. "Although I suppose Charades and Pictionary are out, as well."

Peter smiled at the gentle teasing, and shrugged.

"I can probably draw just as well with my left hand as I could with my right."

"Eat," Natasha told him, handing him a tortilla. "You must be starving."

Stephen had warned them that if the cloak and Nutmeg were augmenting Peter's healing – and they were doing everything they could to keep both as close to the boy as they could, just in case – then it would probably make him use a lot more energy. He told them to assume that he was going to be sleeping a lot and not to worry if that happened, and that he'd probably need a lot of food to regain the energy that he'd be using.

Because of that, Shuri had been the only one worried, then, when Peter hadn't shown any sign of waking for breakfast, and she'd allowed Tony's casual manner to reassure her that there probably wasn't anything wrong with him. If _Tony_ wasn't worried about Peter, then there must not have been anything to worry about.

Peter nodded his agreement, and took the tortilla, and then took a couple more – just for good measure.

OOOOOOO

"That didn't take long…"

Strange looked at the couch near the table they were sitting at – and the boy who was sleeping on it, wrapped in the cloak with Nutmeg cuddled against him and Shuri sitting close at hand, her feet tucked under her reading a book about the Avengers that she'd found in the lounge.

"He lasted longer than I thought he would," the doctor told Tony, amused.

They'd eaten lunch, watching in near amazement as Peter made his way through an enormous meal. Then once the table had been cleared, they'd pulled out the Pictionary game and Tony, Pepper and Shuri had taken on Peter, Stephen and Natasha in several rounds of play. It had been amusing, because Peter – even left handed – wasn't the worst artist at the table. Tony and Natasha were easily the best – one of the reasons they had to play on opposite teams – but they all had a good time and it had been interesting enough that no one became bored.

Peter had begun to droop a little, however, almost as soon as his teams won the last game, and Tony suggested that he stay in the lounge to keep them company, but maybe they should end the game for a while to give him a chance to relax. He was tired enough to agree, and had gone over to the sofa, settling in with Nutmeg. And had promptly been wrapped up in the cloak, which had then started humming that now-familiar lullaby in his mind. That and the soothing caresses, coupled with Nutmeg purring in his ear, had been all that it took, really, and he'd fallen asleep almost immediately.

Shuri had frowned, looking at Tony and Strange.

"Is there something you are not telling me?" she asked the adults. "He should not be sleeping so much."

She wasn't – technically – a doctor, but she knew enough to know that.

"He's using a lot of energy to heal," Strange had pointed out to her – without telling her that it was even more than she thought. "It's going to take a lot out of him."

"We'll let him sleep himself out, and then feed him, again, when he wakes up," Tony said. "But I want a _quiet_ night, tonight – movies, or something like that."

Pepper nodded her agreement, and the adults had asked Shuri if she wanted to play cards with them. She'd shaken her head and had found the book, settling herself on the end of the sofa, next to Peter's feet, and Stephen had found a deck of cards and a scorepad.

"He might feel better when he wakes," Stephen said, shuffling the cards. "If he does, we'll have to find something a little more interactive than movies – but nothing too crazy." He gave Natasha a pointed look. "No _Spoons_."

She'd made a face, pouting, and had shrugged, before giving Tony a side-long glance.

"Maybe we could do an impromptu _D&D_ campaign…"

Shuri hadn't been the only one to look at Stark at the suggestion, and the billionaire nodded.

"I just happen to have one in mind," he replied. "If he wakes up wanting to play D&D you're all invited."


	101. Chapter 101

"I don't understand the game…" Rocket said, frowning as well as a racoon could. "It's make believe?"

"Yep."

"I am groot?"

Tony looked at Rocket, but it was Quill who replied.

"No. you don't really fight dragons or spend any time in dungeons. It's like a choose your own adventure book."

"Do they have those in space?" Peter asked, still waking up but definitely following the conversation that he'd only just joined when he'd moved from the sofa that he'd been napping on over to the table that the guardians were sitting at with the others.

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but when he'd woken, Tony and the others weren't playing cards, anymore. Instead Tony was explaining D&D to the guardians (aside from Peter, who apparently already knew what it was) and Gamora, who looked disinterested. The others were listening to the explanation with varying expressions. With Nutmeg still tucked into his sling, and the cloak wrapped loosely around his shoulders, the boy had walked over to join them, sitting beside Pepper and leaning against her shoulder, sleepily.

"No, but I used to read them when I was a kid," Quill told the boy. "Drove me crazy when I'd make the wrong choice and die."

"Then they're a lot like that," Tony agreed – having never read a choose your own adventure book, himself. "You and your group decide what you want to do and how you want to handle the problems that I – as the dungeon master – bring up while you're traveling. Or hanging out in a perfectly good tavern minding your own business."

"He's pretty good at storytelling," Natasha confirmed.

"You don't _have_ to play, though," Tony assured them. "We just didn't want you to feel left out."

"I am groot."

Tony looked at Quill for the translation.

"He wants to play. So do I."

Sirah shook her head when they looked at her, as did Gamora. Drax nodded and Mantis shrugged, always willing to try new things when invited to do so – and she could tell they were sincere in their invitation.

"We can help you make your character," Peter offered, sitting a little more upright – although he still looked tired.

"I'm going to leave you to it," Tony told them all. "If you want more than '_see Dick run… Run, Dick, run…'_ I'd probably better go get the campaign finished."

"What do we need?" Rocket asked, curiously.

He hadn't exactly committed to playing, yet, but it was interesting enough that he didn't say no right off the bat, either.

"First, you guys have to decide what kind of character you want to play… what race, and what their talent is – and you need to decide their alignment." He looked at Stephen, who had been watching the gathering with a mixture of amusement and maybe a little disbelief at what they were doing. Teaching aliens how to play D&D had to be something that Wong should be there to see. "We could probably find them figurines, right? I have dice enough for everyone to have a new set of their own and plenty of character sheets."

Meaning that he was hoping the sorcerer would be willing to gather the figurines magically, once they knew what they wanted. Strange nodded.

"I don't see why not."

"I wish I had brought my things…" Shuri said, excitedly. "It didn't occur to me to bring them when I came."

"Because you aren't a nerd, yet," Peter told her. "Ned would have packed his, first thing." He looked at his watch and then hopefully at Pepper. "Could we invite him out to play?" he asked, hopefully. "Just D&D, not even to spend the night, if you don't want…"

She frowned, glancing at the sorcerer supreme.

"What do you think, Stephen? Would he be too much for Peter to handle, right now?"

The boy turned his gaze to the doctor, as well, and Strange gave a purely inward groan at the hope he could see in Peter's tired expression. It was probably a bad idea; Ned wasn't very restful a visitor and Peter and he had a lot of catching up to do – catching up that Ned would almost certainly pester his friend to hear. Peter wasn't ready for a night with Ned, but the doctor wasn't willing to say no to him.

"You might call and see if his mother would let him come out – for a few hours."

Peter smiled.

"Wow. Thanks."

"He could stay the night," Natasha said. "When Peter starts flagging, the rest of us can keep him company and distracted so he doesn't get bored. And Peter won't let him keep him up all night, right?" she asked, pointedly.

"Yeah. No. I'll sleep. He'll understand."

"If his mother doesn't mind," Pepper reminded them all. "Might wait and see if she needs him for anything before you make plans."

"I'll call him right now," Peter said.

"Tell them I'll come get him, now, if he can," Romanoff offered.

"I could go," Strange told her.

Of course, he could make it happen the easy way – with a portal – but Ned's mother might wonder how they managed to get her son to the compound so quickly, or want to walk them down to the car.

Natasha smirked.

"You have to help Peter and Shuri explain all the different options these guys have for characters. Besides, it'll give me a chance to talk to Ned. I haven't had him to myself for a while."

And she could remind the other boy that he needed to be a little less animated – to keep Peter from overdoing anything during his visit.

Stephen rolled his eyes.

"Fine."

Peter got to his feet, looking happier than he had in days, really – aside from the dance.

"I'll go call him, now."

He'd left his phone in his room.

"I'll come with you," Natasha said, getting up, as well. "Then I can head out from there."

"D&D after dinner," Pepper reminded her. "So there isn't any hurry." She looked at Shuri as the other two left. "Maybe Stephen would be willing to make a portal for you, so you can get your things," she told the girl, loudly enough for Strange to hear. "If you ask, nicely."

Shuri smiled, looking at the magician.

"I would really appreciate it, Doctor Strange," she said, hopefully. "Then I would not have to roll a new character – and I can keep up with Ned and Peter's guys."

The sorcerer shook his head, ruefully, but he wasn't about to say no to the girl. He knew what she'd done to help the Avengers and the earth, as well as helping to heal Peter's injuries in those terrible first days after the snap had happened. A portal was a small way to begin paying her back for that.

"I think that could be arranged," he agreed. "If Natasha returns with Ned in time, he can help finish up with these folks, and I'll help you get your things."

"Thank you."

"You know Ned's mother will allow him to come," Pepper told Stephen. "Especially if Peter asks her."

"Yes. I'm aware." He didn't have anything to say about that; he hadn't been able to say no to the boy, either. "We'll figure it out."

"I'll go tell Tony."

OOOOOOO

"Stephen's on board with this?"

"He couldn't say no."

"And you couldn't, either?"

Pepper gave her husband a look. One he was incredibly used to, but that she saved only for special occasions, now.

"You want to go tell him that he can't have Ned come?" she asked. "Especially since his mother has already said that Ned can come, and Natasha is already leaving the compound to go get her?"

Tony held up his hands in surrender.

"Of course not. But Stephen's going to stick around, right? Just in case?"

"Nothing is going to happen," Pepper assured him. "He suggested that we keep dinner simple and filling and that you keep the campaign a little shorter and less complicated than your usual fare."

"I can do that." It worked out better for him, that way, really. "We'll figure dinner when Ned gets here, and D&D after. He's staying the night?"

"Yes. Not in Peter's room," she added, before he could suggest it.

"Right. Maybe brunch, tomorrow, if he's feeling up to it. To get him back to some normalcy."

And they'd missed a couple of Sundays, now.

"That sounds like a plan."

"Go away, woman," Tony told her, waving her out of his workroom with a faux dismissive shooing motion. "I have adventure to create."

Pepper cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I'll remind you now that if my little elf dies in your campaign, you're sleeping in here, tonight…"

"Yes, dear."


	102. Chapter 102

By the time Natasha delivered Ned to the compound and they reached the lounge, Peter and Stephen had explained the rest of the rules, the races the others were allowed to choose from for their characters and – once chosen by each – what they wanted each individual's specialty to be. It had taken a while, but the guardians were getting it figured out. Peter was relieved, though, to see Ned arrive into the room – carrying the small bag that he knew his friend used as a D&D pack as well as a backpack; most likely carrying a change of clothes and anything else that he thought he might need.

Pepper and Shuri were sitting at the table, as well. Shuri was listening to Peter explain the differences between each race and the classes available to each when she saw Peter look over at the entrance to the room and followed his gaze. Ned dropped the backpack on a sofa as he and Natasha walked by it, and then moved to the chair next to Peter that was standing empty for him. They weren't in the usual table in the corner; this one was much larger and closer to the entrance.

Ned assumed it was to make plenty of room for all of the people who were going to play that evening.

"Jesus, Peter," his friend said, looking worried. "You look like shit."

He _did_, too. Natasha had warned him on the way back to the compound that Peter's hand and arm had been badly injured. Ned knew that, but Natasha's warning made it sound like it was a lot worse than Peter had been letting on the few times that they'd spoken on the phone.

"You know that we hadn't planned to let you come out for at least another week," Natasha had told Ned as they sped along the highway, taking advantage of the light traffic and the incredible acceleration of Natasha's sportscar. "He gets tired, easily, and we don't want him overdoing it, so your job is going to be to be as restful a visitor as you possibly can while keeping things normal. Got it?"

"Yeah. I'll be cool. Really."

He knew the concession that was being made to let him go out to the compound and the trust that they were putting in him, after all.

Natasha wasn't the only one to roll her eyes at Ned's first words to his friend, but Peter only smiled. He wasn't offended or upset at the proclamation.

"I know. But I look better than I did a week ago, believe me."

His friend wasn't so sure. Peter had always been thin as long as Ned had known him, but he seemed even more so, just then, and it was probably the bandages, but he looked a little vulnerable – despite the amazing things that Ned knew he could do. And tired. So tired that Ned wondered why they had even let him out of bed, much less allowed him to hang out with anyone. Especially aliens and Avengers.

Ned gave him a pointed look.

"Tony knows you're here?"

Pepper smiled. Ned might have failed the restful visitor thing, but he definitely had passed the worried friend assessment, easily. Peter smiled, too.

"Yeah. He's making a D&D campaign."

"He's _done_ with the campaign," Stark said, coming into the room just in time to hear Peter's reply. Tony walked over and stood behind Peter, his hand reached out and testing the boy's forehead, automatically, as he looked over at Ned. "How's it going, Ned?"

"Good. Thanks. Thanks for letting me come out early."

"You're welcome. We're glad you're here. You brought your D&D stuff?"

Ned grinned, excitedly, and Peter echoed it, unconsciously.

"Yes."

"Dinner, first, though," Pepper told them all – including the guardians.

"Are they ready?" Tony asked, looking at Strange and Peter as he moved to sit next to his wife – still watching Peter for any indication that he was going to fall on his face. "Got them all written up?"

Peter nodded.

"It'll be interesting."

Stephen snorted.

"A talking tree, a racoon, a couple of aliens and a displaced earthling joining in a D&D campaign? Yes; interesting is one word I'd use for it."

They could tell that he was looking forward to it, though. Better, as far as _Tony_ was concerned, his boy was smiling and looked almost cheerful.

"I made a good starter campaign, so they should have a good time," he said, looking at the guardians as he said it. "If you enjoy yourself, you can take equipment with you and we'll spread the word across the universe."

Strange rolled his eyes at the grandiose way Tony suggested that and squeezed Natasha's hand, lightly, under the table, amused.

"Let's eat," he suggested. "I'm hungry."

He wasn't, really, but he was ready to get some dinner into Peter and make sure he didn't flag before things really got interesting. Besides, he still had to open a portal for Shuri to Wakanda, after all.

"Peter?"

"Yeah."

OOOOOOO

Despite being uninterested in playing make believe with the others, Gamora and Sirah did stick around in the lounge once dinner was finished so they could watch.

While the table was cleared of the remains of their meal, Stephen and Shuri left for a few minutes, returning with Shuri carrying a bag that held her character sheet and dice – as well as the figurine that she used to represent her little ranger. Rather than let Peter tire himself out going to get his, Ned offered to do it for him, and returned right after Strange and Shuri.

Tony waited, watching them all get prepared from behind the small barrier he used to shroud his actions in mystery, and double-checked to make sure that Peter didn't look too worn out as he looked down at his hastily edited notes.

"Your party is at the edge of a forest. In the heart of the forest lives an ancient sorcerer who holds the knowledge of the life-giving elixir known as Hunky-Dory. The only known cure for the poison that is slowly killing the daughter of the king of this land. A large reward has been offered for the elixir, and while some in your party aren't in the quest for the money, the rest _are_, and you're determined to find the sorcerer and discover where the elixir is located, so you can save the princess.

The only problem is that this wood is also known to shelter some of the most dangerous creatures known; from the mundane like wolves and bears the size of wagon carts, to dragons and magical beasts that would just as soon kill you on sight…"

Peter smiled, knowing that it was a great way for Tony to bring together all of the different character, classes, and races that they had in their diverse group. Not to mention it was a rather generic quest that would take as long as Tony wanted it to last. If interest started to wan, they'd save the princess quickly. If the others were enjoying themselves, it could be drawn out with several different scenarios to explore.

He wasn't surprised; Tony was creative and brilliant. Peter already knew that.

"_You realize that when you start getting tired, the elixir will magically appear in some crazy final, climactic battle, right?"_ Alec asked, amused – although Peter knew he was also impressed with the clever way Tony was handling his audience.

"_Yeah."_

He didn't feel tired, _yet_, though, and was determined to enjoy having everyone around him.

"There are two paths," Tony was telling the others. "One leads to the right, and one to the left. Which way do you go?"

"I am groot."

Peter smirked, and Rocket rolled his eyes.

"He said he'll ask the trees where the sorcerer lives."

Stark smiled.

"Your character is an _orc_, Groot. Orcs don't talk to trees."

Only Avengers and guardians had that privilege, apparently. As well as those who were closest to them, of course.


	103. Chapter 103

"Did you have fun?"

"Yeah."

Pepper smiled at the racoon.

"Don't sound so surprised."

"It was _good_," Drax said, with approval on his open face. "Make believe, yes, but a good way to learn tactics and plan strategies."

"And to learn teamwork," Gamora added.

She hadn't played, but she'd watched entire campaign with interest. Tony had noticed that interest almost immediately, of course, and had gestured for her to sit close to him, so she could watch him lead the others in the story and do the rolls that were needed to determine how well they succeeded or failed. She was clearly not enamored of being part of the party, but he had a feeling that she wouldn't say no to leading the group, sometime – and he'd make sure that if she was interested in learning to be a DM he'd give her some pointers and all the research material she needed to get started.

The rest was just imagination.

"It is," Natasha agreed. She looked over at Peter, who was almost asleep where he sat between Ned and Shuri. "And the company is good."

"I am groot."

"He liked it," Rocket translated for those who needed it.

Sometime during the evening, Nutmeg had woken, stretched and left the little den made by Peter's sling. The kitten was now sprawled on Groot's head, gnawing on a twig, idly.

"I'm glad." Tony looked over at Peter, too, but he'd been watching him all evening, somewhat surprised that he hadn't fallen asleep, sooner. The boy could be stubborn when he wanted to be. Tony knew that. No sense tempting fate, though. "I'm going to walk Peter back to his room."

Peter sat up, a little, affecting alertness that just wasn't there.

"I'm good."

"You _look_ tired," Ned told him, before Tony could say anything. "You should get some sleep so we can do brunch, tomorrow."

Pepper hid her smile behind a sip of coffee, while Natasha didn't bother. It was easier to take the order from his friend – especially his friend who hadn't been allowed to come visit for so long. Peter shrugged, knowing that Ned liked going to brunch with them (and he did, too). It would be even more fun with Shuri – and might keep Tony and Pepper and the others from worrying if he felt well enough to do something so far from bed.

"Yeah. I'm a little tired," he admitted. He _was_ going to mention that he didn't need anyone to walk him to his rooms, though, but he didn't, because while he didn't need it, he certainly wanted the company that Tony was willing to provide. Instead he looked at Pepper. "You'll come, too?"

She nodded.

"Of course."

Tony got up, saying his goodbyes to the others and then plucking Nutmeg from Groot's head. Ironpig had gone to Clint's, but Peter assumed Tony wasn't quite ready to risk the apparently dangerous Flerkin with the others. He was a little surprised, then, when he finished hugging Natasha goodnight and tony handed the kitten to him with a wry smile and told him to tuck Nutmeg into his sling for safe keeping.

"_That's weird…"_

Alec was amused.

"_He found out that Flerkin have the same ability to augment others that the cloak does,"_ the ancient sorcerer told him. _"So don't be surprised if he has that kitten all over you for the next week or so."_

"_What do you mean they can augment others? Will he make me stronger?"_

"_Strength isn't an ability,"_ Alec told him. _"But your ability to heal faster than normal is, and Tony – and Pepper and the others who know about it – are willing to do anything that it takes to get you healthy as quickly as you safely can heal. Including allowing you to be cuddling and sleeping with a flerkin."_

"_Is it true?"_

"_Of course it is."_

"_How did they find out? Wong?"_

"_I told them. Say goodnight to Shuri so we can get going, will you? She's waiting."_

Peter turned from his internal conversation and hugged the princess.

"I'm sorry I'm too tired to hang out…" he apologized.

"Ned will keep me company," she told him.

"Her and Sirah, both," Ned added, trying to sound nonchalant.

And failing. He was clearly happy to see Peter, of course, and make sure that his friend was getting better. But a pretty alien? Especially one that kept looking at him like Sirah was? He'd been the first person that Peter had introduced her to, after all – and he'd made her a TV dinner. She liked him.

"We'll keep them out of mischief," Natasha assured Tony – who had hesitated just a moment. "Go do what you need to do and come back. We'll play cards."

Pepper nodded and Peter finished saying goodnight to the others – and thanking them for playing D&D with him. He was pretty sure the guardians, at least, could have found something more interesting to do. Then he made sure Nutmeg was comfortable, and with the cloak still draped over his shoulders and humming cheerfully in his mind, he headed for the door with Pepper on one side and Tony on the other.

"I could probably make it to my rooms on my own," he told them once they'd left the lounge – and the others. "You can go play cards, if you want."

"And if you _don't_ make it?" Pepper asked him, sliding her arm through his good one. "Then what? Someone trips over you in the hallway in the middle of the night and there will probably be a big lawsuit, or something…"

Peter smiled, rolling his eyes, but amused. He didn't bother to remind her that with the cloak on his shoulders, he – _technically_ – didn't even need to walk to his rooms. If the ancient relic was willing, it could just float him and save him the walk. Much less keep him from falling on his face.

There was an amused agreement from the back of his mind, but the cheerful crooning never stopped. Peter knew that once he got into bed, the humming would turn into that lullaby the cloak always sang to him – and would almost certainly put him to sleep fairly quickly.

"Stephen's staying at the compound?"

"Until you're a little healthier," Tony said. "Yeah."

Because – like Alec had reminded Peter – the cloak could enhance him, as well.

"_Yup."_

Alec fell silent, but Peter didn't mind. He didn't mind them looking out for him, either. They were pretty good at it, by now. And he _did_ want the company. Even if he didn't want to admit it and make them feel like they had to spend time with him because he was hurting, didn't feel well and was in the mood to be cuddled by mom and dad.

"Do you need something for the pain?" Tony asked as they reached Peter's quarters.

"No. It doesn't hurt too much. I'll just brush my teeth and go to bed."

"I'll make sure your bed's ready while you do that," Pepper told him, coming up with a somewhat reasonable excuse to allow him the privacy needed to brush his teeth and do anything else he needed to do to get ready for bed without having her hovering.

She moved into the bedroom and Tony helped Peter change into some clean sweats and a t-shirt – which was impossible one-handed. Even harder was putting on socks, and Peter wanted some.

"You're okay?" Tony asked Peter, softly, while they were still in the bathroom.

"Yeah. It doesn't hurt too much. Really. Just a dull ache."

"Enough to keep you from resting?" he asked, pulling up Peter's sock for him. "I want you to get some sleep, tonight – especially if we're going to try going to buffet, tomorrow."

"If it gets too bad I'll have Karen call Friday."

Tony nodded and tousled Peter's hair, lovingly.

"Come on. Mom's waiting to say goodnight."

She was, too. Pepper was looking through Peter's fridge and had started tossing outdated items into a bag they'd take with them when they left. She didn't chide Peter, though, since he'd been hurt and not up to taking care of such minor details himself. She stopped what she was doing when Peter and Tony entered the bedroom, and Peter didn't feel at all self-conscious when she pulled his blankets back and helped him ease into the bed to avoid allowing him to try it himself and maybe jar that injured hand.

"Are you good?" Tony asked, watching as the cloak unwrapped itself from around Peter so it wouldn't be getting trapped between the boy and the sheets. When he was settled, it added its own weight and warmth to the bedding. "Need anything?"

Peter looked at Pepper.

"Goodnight kiss?" he asked, hopefully, sleepy enough, now, to be willing to make a request that he never would make, normally.

She smiled and leaned over. Not only did she press a kiss against his cheek, but she held her cheek against his for a long moment before pulling away.

"If you need anything, call."

"I will."

"And if Ned sneaks in here to play videogames tonight, I want you to send him packing," she added, as Tony leaned over Peter to press his hand against his forehead. "Sleep is what you need more than anything, right now."

"Yes, ma'am."

She rolled her eyes, not at all fooled by his demeanor.

"Go to sleep, Peter Parker."

Peter felt a lassitude sweep through him as he finally gave in to the weariness that had plagued him – more so, now, since he was using even more energy to heal with the help of the kitten and the cloak being with him, nonstop.

"I love you guys," he told them, closing his eyes, and tucking his injured hand carefully against his side.

"We love you, too. Goodnight."

Tony led his wife through Peter's quarters and out the door, turning off the lights as they went.

Peter was asleep before the door closed behind them.


	104. Chapter 104

"Hungry?"

Peter nodded, looking across the table at Tony and Pepper, who were watching him, carefully – as they had been surreptitiously doing since he, Ned and Shuri had met them in the garage. He knew they were just watching to make sure he didn't tire himself out, but he thought that they might be a little concerned because now that they were out in public at the buffet restaurant he didn't have Nutmeg or the cloak with him, working on helping him heal faster.

On the plus side, after another night with both of them keeping him company as he slept, he felt better than he had the day before. Still tired, and still sore enough that he could feel it, but not too bad.

He'd woken in his own bed, the cloak humming in his mind, and Nutmeg purring in his ear. A quick double-check to make sure that he hadn't slept in, and he got himself up, managed to undress and get boxers and jeans on one-handed (which hadn't been that easy – and the button on the jeans hadn't been fastened, because it turned out to be impossible to do it, for some reason) but by the time Ned came knocking on his door – sent by Tony to check on him since Karen told them all he was awake – Peter was hopelessly entangled in his t-shirt and his friend laughed at him so hard that he actually had to sit down for a minute and hold his side before he could get it together enough to carefully help Peter into the shirt.

"You realize no one can learn of this, right?" Ned had asked as he helped Peter further by taking care of the button on his jeans. "I mean, seriously… I'd have to kill you."

Peter had smiled, feeling better for his friend's company, but unwilling to say anything like that while Ned had buttoned his jeans for him. He just thanked him, profusely, and then had prevailed on him to tie his shoes for him, as well.

"Thanks, dad…" Peter had said, once Ned had him dressed for his day.

Ned had grinned, reaching out and tousling Peter's hair and deepening his voice to do a fair impression of Tony.

"You're welcome, son. Now, let's go meet your mom and the others and get some breakfast. I'm starving."

Peter had stopped long enough to drop Nutmeg with Groot, who wasn't coming to brunch for obvious reasons. The young tree didn't mind; none of the guardians were interested in eating out. They were going to spend a leisure day around the compound, and Peter and Rocket had mentioned double-checking the Milano for any system issues since they had the ship on the ground and could give her a complete retrofit, if needed. Peter had been interested in that, when he'd heard about it, but Quill had shooed him and Ned (and Shuri) away from the heavily camouflaged and guarded ship, telling them that they should go eat with their family, instead, and could check out the ship another time.

The guardians didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave earth, yet, and Peter was glad, really. He liked them, even Drax, who was pretty blunt but knew some great phrases that he was teaching Peter (and the others) without realizing it. Pepper hadn't been impressed, but since Peter (Parker) knew better than to say any of them around her, she couldn't complain too much.

He'd spent some time talking to Groot and Rocket when he and Ned had delivered Nutmeg to the lounge, reminding the tree that the kitten wasn't allowed outside.

"Groot doesn't care," Rocket had pointed out, reaching out and caressing the kitten's furry side, with a furry paw of his own. "_He_ doesn't like to go outside, either."

Groot had nodded his agreement rather than shake his head and had handed Rocket the kitten just as Shuri walked into the lounge, dressed casually and ready to go to brunch with the others. It was something she'd done more than once, now, but was still novel enough to the princess that she grinned, cheerfully, when asking Peter and Ned if they were ready, because Tony and Pepper had stopped by her rooms to make sure she was still planning on going with them.

They'd met up with Stephen and Natasha on the way and the cloak had vanished through a portal that was terminated in the 3rd floor library at the sanctum. Wong had been invited, but he was researching that morning and hadn't even looked up at the invitation – he'd simply waved Strange away and told him to have fun and tell everyone hello.

An easy drive – in two separate cars, since Stephen and Natasha were taking Ned home after they were finished eating – and the group had soon found themselves in their normal private room at the restaurant.

"I'm pretty hungry," Peter replied to Tony's question.

None of the adults were surprised. They'd already seen the byproducts of his enhanced healing – especially with Nutmeg and the cloak accelerating it. Peter slept a lot, and every meal had found him wolfing down even more than his teen-aged appetite usually called for.

"I don't want you trying to carry your own plates," Tony told him. "One-handed, you'll just be asking to make a mess."

And making the mess would stress him out, he and Pepper knew.

"I will help him," Shuri assured Tony.

"Me, too," Ned agreed.

So Peter found himself spending brunch telling his friends what he wanted and having them bring it to him. There were several trips, but they all encouraged him to eat as much as he wanted; even Ned and Shuri knew that it was the best way to get him healthy as soon as possible. They teased him, lightly, as he sent Stephen up for plate of little corndogs that he liked so much – the doctor was going that way, anyway, after all – but he and Shuri polished off the plate and Shuri and Ned had both gone back for more.

The conversations were light as they ate; not about anything avenger or compound related, but the waitstaff did stop and ask him how he'd managed to hurt himself, and teased him, good-naturedly about trying to do things with only one hand. Peter had then regaled them – and the others – with stories of trying to tie his shoes, put a shirt on and mourned the fact that he hadn't had a shower in weeks, now.

The staff – who always took great care of them, anyway – was sympathetic, of course, and the two assigned to the room were just as good as the others about making sure Peter didn't need to get up for anything he wanted. By the time they were done eating, Peter had eaten a sample of pretty much everything the buffet had to offer and had sent Ned for more than one piece of cake.

And, of course, had to endure some teasing because of it.

"Are you finished?" Pepper asked, her eyes soft and amused at the look on Peter's face.

He smiled, slightly, but nodded.

"Probably."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. "We can always go hunt down a mastodon, or something, if you're still hungry."

"The mastodon is extinct, Tony," Stephen reminded his friend. "Most likely because of a couple of hungry teen-aged paleolithic humans."

Natasha snorted, softly, amused, but she winked at Peter.

"Don't you listen to them, baby," she told him. "You eat as much as you want. We'll worry about the famine that it causes, later."

Shuri laughed, and Peter rolled his eyes.

"Are we ready?" Tony asked the group, well aware that with the heavy meal Peter had just eaten he wasn't going to even make the ride home, most likely. He already looked satiated and Tony and Pepper knew the look well enough to know that sleepy wasn't far behind. "I have some things to get done before Monday."

"Are you working at the tower, Monday?" Shuri asked Pepper – and they all saw her hopeful expression and knew she wanted to go see the building, again, but wouldn't ask to be invited.

Princesses didn't finagle invitations; they waited until someone else did the inviting – at least for something like that, which she was almost certain would require a call to her brother for permission.

"I _am_," Pepper told the girl. "And if T'Challa clears it, I'd love some company. We can do a day in the life kind of thing, and you can sit in on my meetings, if you're interested – or you can look around."

"With proper security supervision," Tony added, pointedly.

"Are you going?" Shuri asked, as they all got up to leave.

"No. I hate Monday at the tower."

"And _Tuesday_…" Pepper added. "And _Wednesday_… and-"

"There are so many meetings…" Tony complained, smiling. "Pepper is much better at handling them."

"I'll drive them in," Happy offered. "And then I'll keep Shuri company when she isn't with Pepper."

The princess smiled, cheerfully. She liked Happy – who was gruff, but really nice. Even better, she knew that Happy was basically a body guard for Pepper, and T'Challa would accept him as a companion for her, as well, since if he was good enough that Tony trusted him to keep Pepper safe, her brother would trust the man to guard her, as well.

"Thank you."

Peter was pleased by how happy she looked, even though he knew that he wasn't going to be allowed to go to the tower with Pepper for a while, still. He didn't mind, though. Stephen and Flash's dad were going to take his bandages off and get a look at his hand to see how he was doing. They'd do it before Pepper left, of course, but if it looked like it was healing enough, he could keep the bandages off – or maybe just go with normal ones instead of the heavy, nanotech enriched ones that he had, now.

The group split up at the door. Ned, Natasha and Stephen waited for the valets to bring the sedan that Natasha would drive them back to the city in, while Happy brought the limo for the rest of them.

"You good, Ned?" Tony asked Peter's friend.

"Yeah. Thanks for letting me come. It was great."

He didn't mean brunch, of course, and Tony knew that.

"You're welcome. We'll see what next weekend looks like, alright?"

"Yeah."

Ned hugged Shuri and Pepper, before saying his goodbyes to the others and getting into the back of the car when it arrived.

"How do you feel?" Pepper asked Peter when they got into the limo.

He eased himself into the seat beside Tony, across from Pepper and Shuri, who was also watching him.

"I'm good." He smiled. "Thanks for letting me come."

He _did_ mean brunch.

Pepper nodded; she was just relieved he was healthy enough to be moving around a little.

"You're welcome. Nothing more active than sitting around for the rest of the day, though, alright? Stephen wants you to rest."

"Okay."

He didn't argue. For one thing, he was certain that it wouldn't do any good. For another, he was already feeling worn out, just from being on his feet as little as he had been. He knew he wasn't going to be up to doing much more than he was, just then.

"_Wise man,"_ Alec told him, amused.

Peter ignored that and found himself leaning against Tony as they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway. As Shuri asked Pepper about her schedule at the tower the next day, Peter fell asleep, shifting to get comfortable until he was laying across the seat with his head on his father's leg. Pepper smiled at her husband and pulled a blanket from a side compartment and carefully covered the boy, who mumbled something, and then went back to sleep.

"Down day," Tony murmured to Shuri, telling her that he didn't want them being too active.

The princess nodded.

She figured they could find something interesting to do that didn't require running around.

A video game, maybe – or a movie marathon. Peter was pretty easy to please, usually.


	105. Chapter 105

They woke Peter when they arrived at the compound.

Tony wouldn't have minded just carrying him to his bed as he had on a number of occasions, but with his injured arm and hand, the billionaire didn't want to risk picking him up and causing him any pain with a misplaced pressure point. Besides, he'd had almost an hour to nap, and while they'd been driving home, they'd heard Peter's phone ring a couple of times. He probably had a phone call or two to make.

Stark waited until Pepper and Shuri were both gone; Pepper was going to do some prep for her upcoming week, and Shuri was going to go see if Steve had returned from Clint's yet. Or was going to see what Rocket and Groot were doing. Maybe get a peek into their spaceship if Peter and Gamora would allow it, since they were going to be working in it, that day.

Peter opened his eyes at Tony's care nudge.

"We're home?" he asked, sleepily, not in any hurry to lift his head and look around.

"Yeah. How's the arm?"

"The arm hardly hurts," Peter told him, sitting up. "The hand is a dull throb." He looked around, now, saw that Pepper wasn't there and looked at Tony. "It should be healed by now, though… Has Stephen said anything to you about it?"

"It was _really_ hurt, Peter," Tony reminded him. "It's probably just taking longer because of all the damage that was done. Stephen said it looked good, and I'm going to believe him. He wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."

Which was true, and they both knew it. One of the things Tony liked best about Strange was how upfront he was. Peter liked that, too.

"Yeah."

Tony smiled, pushing Peter's hair flat where it was sticking up from using him as a pillow while he'd slept.

"We'll get a better look at it, tomorrow. So don't worry until we have a reason to. All right?"

"Okay." He stretched, a little. "Where is Shuri and Pepper?"

"Shuri went looking for trouble to get into and Pepper went to our rooms. Both would love your company, I'm sure." Which made Peter smile. "But check your phone, too. It rang while you were asleep."

Peter must have been soundly sleeping to have slept through that. A cell phone ring was a siren call to most kids, really, and Peter wasn't an exception. He reached one-handed into his pocket and pulled his phone to look at it.

"MJ."

"Twice?" Tony asked. "You should probably see what she wanted, then, yeah?"

"Yeah." It was the first time that she'd reached out to him in a long time. Maybe she wasn't so mad, anymore? "Do you need me for anything?"

"No. I'm going to be pestering mom if you need anything. You know where to find me."

Tony helped him out of the limo, so he didn't stumble trying to get out one-handed and then hugged him before they separated. Peter going to his quarters and Tony going to his.

OOOOOOO

He debated doing video chat with MJ, as he sat down on the sofa, still a little tired – even from walking such a short distance. He was also somewhat stuffed from lunch, still, and feeling weighed down because of it. Pleasantly, though, and not at all sorry about eating as much as he had. MJ would notice he looked tired, though, he was sure. She didn't miss much, after all, and he didn't want her to be worried about him.

The fact that she worried about him was already a bone of contention between them, he knew.

"Karen? Called MJ, please. Video."

The TV turned on; the screen blank except for a small square in the corner that showed his face and some of the sofa. A moment later the call answered, and MJ was taking up a majority of the screen, the background telling Peter that she was in her room at her home.

"_Hi,"_ she said, and he saw her looking at him, intently.

"Hey. I'm sorry I missed your call. I was asleep."

"_It's okay. You slept in?"_

"I did, but then we went to brunch. I fell asleep on the way home."

"_Oh. Did Ned go?"_

His friend must have told her that he was coming over. Peter nodded.

"Him and Tony, Pepper, Shuri, Natasha and Stephen. Natasha took Ned home when we were done."

"_You must be feeling better if you're being allowed to go out to eat."_

"I'm doing okay," he confirmed. "They're going to take the bandages off, tomorrow, and see how the hand is doing."

"_Are you going to tell me what happened to it?"_ she asked, pointedly.

Peter hesitated. He didn't know what to tell her. Stephen said it was like a burn, so he supposed that was the closest to actual truth.

"I-"

Her eyes narrowed at the hesitation and she must have read his expression pretty well, because she scowled.

"_Don't bother,"_ she interrupted. _"I'd rather not know at all if you're not going to tell me the truth."_

"I wasn't _going_ to lie to you," Peter told her. "I just don't know how to describe it – or if I _can_."

"_Does Ned know?"_

She looked annoyed and wasn't bothering to hide it.

"No."

"_Does _Shuri_?"_

Peter shook his head.

"No. It's just that – "

"_It's just that you have yet another secret that you're hiding from me – causing yet another injury that I need to worry about,"_ MJ said, interrupting, again.

Peter felt a flare of annoyance, too, now, too. It wasn't _his_ fault, and he was too tired and achy to try and placate her.

"You don't have to worry about me, _at all_," he told her. "Everyone else does plenty of that. I'm _fine_. The bandages will come off and I'll have some physical therapy and it'll be good to go."

He hoped.

"_Until the next time you do something stupid and get yourself hurt trying to be a hero."_

"I'm not trying to be a _hero_," he said, and now he was beyond irritated and working straight up to angry. "And I didn't do anything _stupid_ to hurt myself."

He'd saved the world, right? And was mad enough, now, that he wasn't bothering to hide it.

"_Whatever, Peter."_

Not an uncommon comeback for a teenaged girl, but it annoyed her to say it, and it annoyed Peter to hear it.

"Why did you call me if you're just going to bitch at me?" Peter asked her.

"_I didn't call to-"_ she interrupted herself. _"I was just checking on you. But if you're too busy having your good buddies Ned and Shuri over and not me, I'll hang up so you can get back to what you were doing."_

"You made it pretty clear you didn't want to talk to me," Peter reminded her. "Ned's called a dozen times and Shuri pretty much saved my life. You just snap at me whenever I try to talk to you and gripe about me doing dangerous stuff."

"_Because it's _dangerous_."_

"It's who I am," Peter said. "And I'm not going to stop doing it." And now they were both talking about him being spiderman. "I already _have_ a mom, MJ," he told her. "She worries about me enough for everyone and I can't stop her from doing it but I'm not going to deal with _you_ doing it, too."

"_Fine."_

The call ended, abruptly, and Peter stared at the black display for a long moment, still angry and getting angrier with every heartbeat.

"Shit." He waited, but Alec was conspicuous in his silence – definitely not willing to get involved in that conversation if he could avoid it. Peter got to his feet, somewhat awkwardly, and stopped long enough to pick up his keys. "I'm going for a drive…" he said, mainly so Karen would know – if Tony asked.

Then he headed for the door.


	106. Chapter 106

Now Alec did speak up.

"_That's really not the best choice, at the moment, is it?"_

Of course, being inside Peter's head like he was, the ancient sorcerer already knew what the reply to that was going to be. Peter didn't disappoint and didn't make him wait.

"I don't _care_."

At the moment, he _didn't_, either. He was worn down; hurt, tired and angry. His hand was still killing him, really, despite the fact that he'd been in bandages forever, it seemed. He was used to healing quickly, and he didn't realize that he _was_ healing quickly, because it still hurt. Hurt so much, all the time, and worried the people around him so much that they were always asking him how it felt – because they had to see in his expression or something that it still bothering him. Hurt because he missed May. He loved Tony and Pepper – more and more every day, it seemed – but seeing May again had ripped off the barely healed scab over that hurt so quickly that he was still unable to breath sometimes at just how much he missed her when he allowed himself to think about it.

Tired. Tired of _being_ tired. He was active and used to being able to move quickly and easily, and now he couldn't. Had to do everything one-handed, which was awkward and uncomfortable, and he hated being so graceless when he was usually so coordinated. Tired of being the reason everyone looked so worried all the time. He knew (he was just ignoring it for the moment) that they worried because they loved him. He had had that discussion with Natasha a long time ago, how you had to care about something to be able to worry about it – but Peter was angry as well as tired, and that was enough to make him not care about any of that at that particular moment.

And he _was_ angry. Angry with MJ for being mad at him. Angry with himself for letting her make _him_ mad. Angry at the universe for being dumb enough to make Thanos in the first place. If Thanos hadn't come, Peter would have been allowed to start school with his friends. Would have been able to go to his school's homecoming. Wouldn't have had to be forced into an impossible decision that no one else would ever find themselves forced to make – but Peter shouldn't have been surprised at all that ot was something that he'd have had to make.

Just another example of how screwed up his world was.

He was definitely not in a positive state of mind as he entered the garage and headed for his Pontiac, but he was upset enough that – like he'd told Alec – he didn't care. He just needed to get away. Needed to feel the power of the engine around him and find someplace to stop and simmer – away from the universe that always seemed to have it out for him.

OOOOOOO

" _Karen is advising that Peter is leaving the compound."_

Tony had only been in their quarters for half an hour or so before Friday alerted him. He frowned, glancing at Pepper, who had earphones in as she was preparing for her meetings the next day. He stood, and the motion alerted her – or maybe it was just an awareness of what was always going on around her. Something she was pretty good at, he knew.

"What's up?" she asked, taking out her headphones and looking over at him.

"Friday? Did he portal?"

Tony was already calculating just how far away from the compound Stephen had to be; they were probably just about to the city by then – depending how fast Natasha was driving. Distance didn't mean all that much with the sorcerer supreme, but the magician couldn't just pop in if he was in the middle of a lot of people who would notice his departure. But he knew Strange wouldn't hesitate if he called for help.

Now Friday was watching Peter, rather than needing Karen to relay.

"_He's in the garage."_

"Who is?" Pepper asked, standing because Tony looked alarmed. "_Peter_?"

"He can't drive. Not with one hand. He knows that."

"But-"

"_He's gone."_

She frowned, more confused than concerned. Tony was right; Peter had to know that he couldn't drive one-handed.

"What is he thinking?"

"I'll go find out," her husband told her. "Be right back."

OOOOOOO

Driving one-handed was ridiculous. Peter found that out before he even started. Distracted and angry, he had trouble even getting behind the wheel with the grace that he usually had. He didn't bother to put the top down as he normally would have for such a lovely day – the temperature was wasted on the boy as he put the key in the ignition with the wrong hand. He reached for the seatbelt and gave up on even that when the first couple of tugs failed to get it into position to be fastened. Then he had to try to shift the car into gear with the wrong hand, too.

Which just made him more frustrated and upset.

He finally managed, slamming his foot down on the accelerator. The motion and a scathing curse the only release that he was able to get for the anger that was still coursing through him, still. The powerful engine of the Pontiac responded, immediately, and the car fish-tailed as it roared out of the garage and then down the service road.

"Shit."

Peter fumed as he regained control of the car, feeling a little of his anger fade as he wondered for the first time if he should have just portalled himself somewhere, instead. He was probably doing exactly what MJ had just accused him of doing; being reckless. Not to be a _hero_, though, he corrected, angrily. He wasn't trying to be a hero. He'd never wanted to be a hero, he-

A flash of tan from somewhere to his left was the only warning he had. No. His spider senses were still working and had been screaming at him, but Peter was so worked up that he hadn't been paying attention to what was going on on the inside.

"_Watch out!"_ Alec warned, also too late.

The alien sorcerer didn't have spider senses and he couldn't use Peter's, but he felt what the boy was ignoring and gave warning when he realized what was happening.

The deer was one of a dozen that stayed near the compound year round. Peter had seen them a million times, both in the trees and in the field grazing in the early morning. He'd even had a few jump out in front of him while driving, but had easily avoided the dangers of actually hitting one of them because of his reflexes and inner warnings coming into play.

Distracted and angry, lost in his own riled emotions – and limited to one hand on the wheel, he didn't have as much reaction time as he would have, normally. He swore and then swerved at the same time the big buck did. Peter felt a thud against the driver's side of the Pontiac, and the car fish-tailed, again. He was a good driver; taught by Tony, Natasha and Happy, but with the handicap of only having the one hand on the wheel, he didn't have a chance.

He lost control of the car with his over correction and almost managed to straighten out. Then a tree loomed large in front of him and the car came to a sudden stop when the front hit the trunk with a glancing impact that knocked Peter into the steering wheel with a jarring shock of pain that ran through his injured hand all the way up the same arm and a blow to the head that left him reeling.

OOOOOO

_A/N: Sorry about how long this took to get out. the holidays are like that, sometimes - and I had to decide how I wanted to proceed, of course. Hope you all are having a good holiday, too!_


	107. Chapter 107

Tony barely made it to the entrance to the garage and saw the Pontiac was, indeed, gone when Friday spoke up.

"_Karen's reporting that Peter wrecked."_

"What?" What had been mild confusion was now very real concern. "Where?"

The Ironman suit was already activating, and Tony was in the air by the time Friday had caught the coordinates from Karen. The HUD showed the scene courtesy of camera footage that came directly from the compound security camera that covered the service road into the facility. The Pontiac was a splash of red, off the road and against a tree. The front end was crumbled as was the side. The _driver's_ side. It was close enough that the Ironman suit was already coming in for a landing by the time Tony had assessed what he was seeing.

Friday was already scanning the front of the car, and there was life in the figure that was sitting behind the wheel.

"Is he hurt?"

Friday didn't need to ask who Tony meant.

"_Nothing broken. Heart rate is elevated. Head injury."_

"His hand?"

"_Inconclusive."_

The scanners couldn't always see through vibranium.

"Get a medical team out here, now." He wouldn't let Peter move until they were certain he was alright. "Call Romanoff and let her know what happened. Tell her _not_ to let Ned know if she's still with him, and that it's not serious enough to bring Stephen in by portal."

He wanted the surgeon there, but not so badly that it was worth leaving the car and jumping in, or anything that might cause trouble or more confusion in the city.

"_And Pepper?"_

Ugh.

"Tell her what happened. Let her know where we are."

That wasn't a secret he was going to keep.

He disengaged the suit and hurried over to the driver's side of the car. Peter was slumped over the steering wheel, unmoving, now, and Tony found the door was jammed when he tried to open it. The front fender of the car was bent and it wasn't moving to allow the door to open. Stark activated the suit, again, and forced the door, wincing at the sound of grating metal and the extra damage being done to the car that Peter loved so much.

"Peter?"

He turned to look at the billionaire and Tony frowned at the dazed look in his eyes and the blood leaking from a nasty cut above his eyebrow. He was pale and clearly in shock and there was definitely a knot on his head.

"I hit a deer." The boy sat up. "Jesus, I hit a deer. Oh shit. Oh _shit_. I _killed_ one of our deer."

Tony hadn't seen a deer. He put his hand on Peter's shoulder. The _left_ one, luckily.

"Hold still, son."

"I killed a deer."

"I don't see one. Stay still, okay? I have a medical team on the way."

"I'm okay."

It was an automatic denial of the need for anything special to be done for him.

"You're _bleeding_."

"I hit a deer."

"You hit a _tree_…" Tony looked at the boy, wishing that he had a blanket to put over him to keep him warm. He was obviously shocky, and the blood was startling red against his pale skin. "What were you _thinking_? Where were you going?"

"I don't know. I _wasn't_."

"What?"

Peter winced and tried to sit up a bit more, but the hand Tony had on his shoulder held him still.

"I-"

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of many people all at once. Like a swarm of ants, Avengers and allies came into the area in a wave, summoned either by Friday, or because they were locked into the compound's security net and had been advised what happened. Several vehicles pulled up, tires and brakes screeching and squealing on the pavement. Nick Fury got out from behind the wheel of the black SUV with several medical personnel and Doctor Adams. All rushed over to the car, moving Tony aside in order to get to Peter. Stark allowed it, watching anxiously as Adams took control with calm efficiency, already making several orders for tests that she wanted to run on her patient.

"Tony?"

He turned to Nick, and was surprised that Wanda was standing beside him, as well. Maximoff had been almost constantly in the workroom with Vision, waiting for the time that Peter was well enough to return the mind stone to him and bring him back to full capacity once more.

"He said he hit a deer…"

"Looks like a _tree_ to me," Fury said, looking at the Pontiac. "He was talking?"

"Not coherently." He looked at the car, too. The front end was badly damaged, as was the driver's side fender area. What he could see around the people working with Peter. "I can't even imagine what he was thinking, trying to drive one-handed. Or where he thought he needed to go."

"He was angry," Wanda said. "He-"

Another car pulled up with a squeal of tires and gravel on the shoulder of the road, parking behind the SUV and blocking the right lane of the service road, entirely. This time Pepper got out from behind the wheel and she hurried over to the group, looking first at the boy they were swarming around, and then backing out of the way to look at the car, and then her husband.

"What happened?"

"He says he hit a deer," Tony told her, taking her hand and pulling her close to try and help keep her from worrying.

"Is he alright? Where's Stephen?"

"Still taking Ned home. He'll be fine, Pep. He was awake and talking to me."

Somewhat.

"What-"

"He was upset," Wanda interrupted, her expression troubled. "I didn't get to him in time, but I could feel how angry he was – even from the other side of the compound. The mind stone doesn't communicate with me as it does with Vision – or with Peter – but I didn't need to in order to feel Peter."

"What was he upset about?" Pepper asked.

Wanda shrugged.

"I don't know. Peter's mind is protected from my powers more than anyone's."

"He was going to call MJ back," Tony said. "Something must have happened."

He trailed off when sudden activity at the driver's side of the Pontiac distracted him from whatever he was going to say. A couple of corpsmen were easing Peter out of the car. Adams had had him put onto a backboard and firmly strapped down, and there was now a heavy bandage over the boy's forehead where the cut was. They were being careful with his hand and arm, but that was a known injury and the medics were more concerned about what they didn't see. As the men loaded Peter into the back of the SUV, Adams walked over to the group, which was getting bigger, now, with the arrival of several more people – mostly SHIELD agents.

"Doctor?"

"The board is just a precaution," she said, quickly. "I want to make sure he didn't break anything – although he was moving around. He's in shock, hit his head pretty hard and it looks like he hit the injured hand on the steering wheel. We'll take him to the infirmary and get him squared away. You guys can come check on him once we're done with the tests."

Her calm manner did a lot to calm Pepper's worried expression, and Tony admitted that it helped him, too.

"I'll have the car towed home," Nick told them. "Do we have a recording of the call he made? A way to find out what happened?"

"_Every_ call has a recording," Tony pointed out. "That's the nature of the technology. I'm not sure listening in on his private conversation is warranted, though."

Nick Fury was a _spy_. A master of secrets and finding out the reasons behind things. It was second-nature for him to want to know what happened – and do what was needed to find out. Tony wanted to know, too, of course, but he was a father, now, and had to worry about stepping over a line that had never existed for him before Peter had become his responsibility.

Fury shrugged, watching as the SUV drove away.

"Ask him, then, and see what you find out. I'll take care of things, here."

"Thanks, Nick."

Pepper turned to Tony.

"He hit a deer?"

"He said he did."

"Did he kill it?"

That wasn't a conversation she was looking forward to having with their son.

Stark shrugged, and then activated his suit.

"Friday? Any dead creatures in the area?"

A quick scan confirmed several deer, but none were even limping, much less down.

"_Looks good, boss."_

Tony released the suit and shook his head.

"If he actually hit one, it must have just been a glancing blow. Friday doesn't see anything."

"We have video monitoring in the Pontiac?"

"No," Tony said. "For the same reason we don't have any in Peter's room. But we do have a black box – through Karen. Once I have a chance to make sure he's really alright, I'll run through the data."

"Go check on your boy, Tony," Nick told him – and Pepper. "Let me know if you need anything."

He turned away, and Tony looked at Wanda.

"Angry _and_ upset?"

She nodded.

"And uncertain, I think. It's hard for me to read him," she added – again.

"Thanks, Wanda."

"You're welcome."

"Ride back with us?" Pepper offered.

"Thank you."

The compound would be filled with concerned people, soon, worried about Peter. She would go back to where Vision was and use his solid presence to keep herself from being overwhelmed by it all.

"Is the car repairable?" Pepper asked as Tony walked to the sedan Pepper had brought from the compound.

"Yeah. We'll get it back into shape."

_That_ wasn't a conversation either of them would have wanted to have with Peter, either.


	108. Chapter 108

He knew something was wrong – even though Natasha didn't say anything out of the ordinary and didn't mention it. Not that she gave anything away as they drove; she was still chatting to Ned about the D&D campaign, the homecoming dance and what he had planned for the week ahead, but Stephen knew her as well as any and better than most, and he knew something had caught her attention. He didn't say anything, however, as they drove through the neighborhood that the safehouse was in and to Ned's.

"Thanks, Natasha," Ned told her, getting out when she double-parked in front of his building. "See ya, Doctor Strange."

"Have a good week, Ned," she replied, smiling at the boy who had such a crush on her. "Stay out of trouble."

"I will."

He walked up the steps into the building and Natasha put the car in gear.

"We have trouble at home," she said, immediately, once the boy was out of sight.

Which he understood to mean _her_ home, and not his.

"What's up?"

"Peter wrecked his car."

"What? What was he driving for? Where was he going?"

"I haven't heard. I heard the initial call from Friday to our security system and then Fury ordering up a wrecker to retrieve the car from a ditch less than a mile down the road."

"Is he hurt?"

"Yes. Tony says not seriously enough that he wanted us to let Ned know what was happening, so we needed to wait until we delivered him home."

He could tell she was worried, despite the assurance.

"Take us to the sanctum," Stephen told her. "We'll park the car there and I'll get us back the quicker way."

OOOOOOOO

Peter was still being evaluated when Tony and Pepper reached the medical room. Doctor Adams looked over at the motion at the door to the room and walked over to them, intercepting the worried looking parents of her youngest patient before they could walk into the room.

"How is he?" Pepper asked, first.

"He's got a pretty good knock to the head," she replied. "At the scene it looked like he hit the steering wheel, and he thinks that's the case, but he's still dazed, so it's only a guess. We've done x-rays – chest, head and belly. Aside from the head wound, it looks good, so far."

"His hand and arm?" Tony asked her, remembering the way Peter had been favoring it at the crash site.

"I've called Doctor Thompson in to take the bandages off so we can get a better look and see if he's aggravated the injuries already done. I'm going to leave it as is until he arrives." She looked at her watch. "His ETA is around half an hour."

"Can we talk to Peter?"

"Let me get him settled into an actual bed, first. Then you can have some time with him while we wait for Doctor Thompson. Is Stephen coming?"

"He shouldn't be too much longer. He was on his way to the city."

"I'll hold the fort until he gets here," she told them with a reassuring smile. "Get some coffee, or something. I'll call you when he's ready."

The two didn't argue. With a glance over her shoulder at their son, Tony allowed Pepper to steer him away from the door. They didn't go for coffee, though. Instead, they went to the closest waiting room; there weren't many and the two had been in all of them by then. Tony sat down on the sofa and pulled out his phone, while Pepper settled beside him, hooking her arm through his free one.

"Friday? Pull from Peter's phone records the last call made out, please."

"You don't think that's an invasion of his privacy?" Pepper asked, uncertainly.

"Absolutely, it is," he admitted. "But I want to know what's going through his head, and he's not very good at always letting people know. Something had to trigger this, Pep; he was in pretty good spirits when I left him."

"_Communication found,"_ Friday interrupted. "_Video capability exists, do you want to see it?"_

Tony looked at Pepper, who nodded. In for a penny, in for a pound, as the saying went.

"Yes."

A minute or so later, and they both knew why Wanda had told them that he'd been angry. And upset. A fight with a girlfriend would definitely do it – especially with a teenager. A fight where the girlfriend called you a liar, and stupid, and was clearly feeling left out of things if they were any judge of the conversation was much more serious. They watched it a few times, able to see both teen's faces because of the camera in a camera feature of the video conference, so it was easy to see the way Peter's expression had changed throughout the conversation.

"Wow…"

"Poor baby…" Pepper said, softly, not missing the fact that Peter had mentioned his mom and his ever-present concern about her always worrying about his wellbeing. "She's not happy with him, is she?"

"No. They're definitely squabbling."

"Should we let her come out?"

Neither had missed the way MJ had acted about being left out. It had been pretty obvious – even if Peter had seemed clueless. And she had a valid point, they knew – but her delivery was fairly blunt.

"I don't think so. I don't want him dealing with that, right now. He can fix his relationship once we have him healthier – and we can get him in a better frame of mind. He has enough on his plate already – and definitely added more to it with this. What do you think?"

They were supposed to be a team, after all. That meant asking her what she thought, too.

"I agree. As much as I don't like the idea of allowing the issues to fester between them, I don't want him any more upset than he already is. Or how he's going to be once he sees the car…"

"Yeah. I-"

He was interrupted when Shuri knocked on the door's frame, poking her head in and looking worried.

"I am sorry," she said, uncertainly. "But I heard what happened and wanted to see if there is anything that I can do."

"Not at the moment," Pepper replied. "We haven't been allowed to see him, yet."

"But he's _okay_," Tony added, giving the girl a reassuring smile, weak though it was. "He was awake and talking to me when I found him."

"Did he really hit a deer?"

"I couldn't find one," Stark told her. "But he _said_ he did – or the deer hit him. We should have footage – it's a monitored road – but I haven't had a chance to look at the recordings."

They been focused on watching the call with MJ, instead.

"Is Doctor Strange with him?

The princess knew Stephen was with Natasha taking Ned him – but she was also aware that he had instant travel capabilities and knew that Strange was (unofficially) Peter's doctor.

"He's in the city with -"

A piece of heavy fabric swept into the room, just then, zipped by Shuri and made a bee-line for Tony. It silently wrapped around him, startling everyone, and Natasha walked in on the heels of the ancient relic, looking at Tony and Pepper.

"How is he?"

"Lucky to be alive," Tony said, trying to see around the cloak, which was now rubbing his ears, clearly trying to soothe – or trying to _be_ soothed – but only making a nuisance of itself without Peter or Stephen there to tell it to behave. "He crashed into a tree."

"Fury said it was a deer."

"I haven't seen the tape, yet."

"You talked to him?"

"Yeah. Before they pulled him out of the car. Stephen's with him, now?"

"We stopped at the sanctum to drop off the car and came right here after we took Ned home."

"He doesn't know?"

"No, we were almost to his place when we got the call."

Might have been further away, except Romanoff liked to drive fast when she could get away with it.

"We'll tell him, later," Tony said. "Peter hit his head on the steering wheel – and maybe his _hand_. Doctor Thompson is coming in to take the bandages off and see if there's any harm done – Adams wanted him since he's been following the treatment more intimately and knows what to look for. Nothing appears broken, though."

"What was he doing?" she asked with a confused frown. "Why was he driving in the first place?"

Peter wasn't dumb enough to try anything so reckless – especially with his Pontiac. She didn't say that aloud, but she didn't really need to, since they all knew it.

"We'll explain, later…" Tony promised. He didn't really want the story about the argument with MJ to become common knowledge, and while Romanoff was a spy and tight-lipped at the best of times, Shuri was one of Peter's peers, and they didn't want her to know unless it was Peter who told her. Not to mention that if they told anyone, it would become clear to the boy that they'd listened to the call. "We're not quite sure."

But _pretty_ sure.

"I'll wait with you," Natasha said, gracefully sitting in one of the chairs.

Shuri looked at Tony and Pepper, uncertainly, and Pepper smiled.

"You can stay, too," she assured the girl, who looked relieved at not being sent away when it wasn't really her place to be in the room with the family but was worried about her friend and didn't want to leave. "But we get to see him, first. Fair?"

"Of course."

She sat down on the sofa, on the other side of Tony, who scowled when the cloak shifted, again, and started rubbing his cheeks and messing up his hair.

"A little help, ladies?" he requested, moving his head, again, but still enjoying the full attentions of the magical relic.

Whether he wanted them, or not.

"You're on your own, there," Pepper said, reaching over and picking up Tony's phone and turning it off so the newcomers couldn't see the display – which held a still frame of the video chat on it. "I speak several languages, but magic carpet isn't one of them."


	109. Chapter 109

Peter was awake.

He'd never actually lost consciousness, although he was having trouble focusing on what was going on around him. They pulled him out of the car – and he knew it was bad that they had to, but he couldn't figure out why. His head was aching and his hand was killing him. It was hard to think about anything else, just then. Doctor Adams was being careful with him; making sure to speak slowly and explain everything that she was doing – or having done to him.

At the moment, it was a lot of x-rays and tests, along with a barrage of questions.

"Where's Tony?" Peter asked, again. "I need to see him."

"He's waiting for us to finish," Adams told him. Again. She was very patient, though, well aware that the head injury was making him confused. "He'll be here in a minute."

They finished the x-rays; positioned him in a myriad of different positions to make sure the pictures they took came out on the first try, and then took some blood. A somewhat makeshift bandage was put around the already bandaged arm and hand to hold it completely still. Then a couple of corpsmen put him into a pair of sweats and covered him, warmly, to offset the fact that they'd been forced to just cut the shirt that he'd been wearing off – and hadn't put a new one on over the sling and the new bandages.

"Is he mad?"

"Of course not."

"Worried?"

"Always." She smiled, checking the neat row of stitches that she'd already used to close the gash above his right eyebrow. "He'll be here, soon. Pepper, too."

"She's going to be mad…" Peter told the doctor, mournfully. "I killed a deer."

"I heard that it _survived_," Adams assured him. "Not even a limp. Tony double checked to make sure."

"He did?"

"He _did_."

She knew him well enough by then to know how best to keep him calm and was more than willing to use that knowledge to reassure him. Of course, in this case it helped that it was _true_.

Before Peter could reply, or ask any other questions, Doctor Strange was suddenly standing by the bed. Without a word one of the other medics handed him a clipboard to allow him to see what tests had been given and what the results had been.

"Peter?"

The boy had closed his eyes, relieved, but opened them again.

"Hey."

"Hello. How do you feel?"

"Sore."

Strange looked at Adams.

"Anything broken?"

"No." she hadn't covered the stitches so he had no trouble seeing the result of the impact Peter's head had made to the steering wheel. "We x-rayed the hand and arm, but we didn't want to take the bandages off. I called in Doctor Thompson to have the hand checked. He should be here, anytime."

"Smart thinking." He looked Peter over, carefully, not missing how dazed the boy looked. "Pain meds?"

"A local before I went to work on his head and an OTC for the hand until we take the bandages off."

"Has Tony seen him, yet?"

"He was at the accident scene and is waiting outside until we're done."

Stephen nodded.

"Put him in a bed, here, to keep him close by until Doctor Thompson comes. Go ahead and let Tony and Pepper see him – but no one else until we get him settled for the night."

"Including _Romanoff_?" Adams asked, pointedly.

"No. Of course not." He wasn't crazy. "Peter? We're going to let Tony and Pepper come visit as soon as they get you into a real bed. Hold as still as you can, though. Got it?"

"Yeah." He reached out, though, with the unbandaged hand, and caught Stephen's short in an implacable grip. "Are they mad at me?"

"No. Of course not."

"I screwed up…" he said. "Big time. They're going to hate me, Stephen. I wrecked the car. I killed a deer. I pissed off MJ – _again_. No one's going to-"

"Peter…" Strange didn't even try to free himself. He stepped forward, instead, closer to the boy. "You're fine. _Really_." He reached out and pressed his palm against the boy's cheek, trying to keep him calm, well aware that a panic attack, now, was the last thing that Peter needed. "Tony's never going to hate you. Neither will Pepper."

"The deer lived," Adams supplied Strange.

"Hear that?" the sorcerer supreme said. "The deer is fine and the car can be fixed."

"It's probably ruined," Peter said, softly. "I ruin everything."

"Tony built an Ironman suit in a cave," Stephen said, surprising himself with the sudden desire to hug the guy and make him understand how wrong he was. "He'll be able to fix the car. I'll even help. Alright? Stop worrying so much about this. You made a mistake. You're a _teenager_; you're supposed to make one every now and then."

Peter didn't look too convinced, but he did relax his grip on Stephen's shirt, allowing him to pull his shirt out of the boy's grip. He didn't step back, though. Instead his hand went from his cheek to his neck, double checking the pulse he felt there, making sure it wasn't beating too quickly, another indicator of a potential panic attack. It was slow and steady, though.

"The bed's ready," Adams said, softly.

"Thank you." He turned his attention to Peter, again. "They're going to put you into bed and I'll go get Tony and Pepper."

"Okay. Tell them I'm sorry."

"They know, already."

He didn't know what Peter had done, but clearly the boy thought it was a doozy. And maybe it _was_. He'd have to find out. He left Peter in Adams' capable hands with two big corpsmen already stepping up to transfer Peter into the waiting bed, and he walked out of the room and to the waiting room where he knew that he'd find the others.

He was a bit surprised to see Shuri waiting with Natasha, Tony and Pepper, but he didn't have a chance to mention it before he was suddenly assailed by the heavy fabric of his cloak. It wrapped around him and even though Stephen couldn't actually hear it like Peter could, there was no doubt what it wanted.

"Yes. Go make sure he's warm enough and check on him."

The cloak flittered out of the open door and he turned his attention to Tony and Pepper, who had stood and walked over to meet him.

"Stephen?"

"What happened?" the doctor asked.

"He was upset and took the Pontiac out – to clear his head, or something – and he hit a deer and overcorrected and crashed into a tree."

"Is he alright?" Pepper asked.

"He seems to be." Stephen looked at Shuri. "I need to ask you to leave, princess," he told her somewhat apologetically. "Patient confidentiality."

The girl was too much a princess to complain about being kicked out – and she knew that he was well within his rights to request that she not listen in on the conversation – no matter that Peter was her friend. Besides, she had heard the important part; that Peter seemed to be fine. She would check back, later.

"I understand." She looked at Pepper. "When you see him, tell him I will come visit him as soon as I am allowed."

Pepper smiled and nodded, and they all watched as she left, and she pointedly closed the door behind her.

"What's wrong?" Tony asked, worried, now.

"Nothing. Well, nothing really new, or unexpected. Peter's fine. His head is stitched up – Doctor Adams did a good job, they might not even leave a scar – and they're putting him into a bed, now."

"But?"

There had to be a _but_; Pepper knew.

"He's convinced that you're going to hate him, that he's killed a deer and that he's ruined everything – including his father's car."

"We don't hate him."

"Of course you don't," Stephen agreed. "But I warned you about the possibility of depression, remember? He's very adept at hiding his feelings, but this time it's just too much, probably, and he can't."

"Do you think we should see if Doctor Bird can come chat with him?" Pepper asked, even as Tony was about to suggest the same thing. "He's good with Peter, and they get along well."

"I think that's a very good idea. Not today, though. And only if you're willing to let the man know everything. Peter has a lot that he needs to talk out – especially that decision that he made with May – and Bird could help him best if he didn't have to hold back anything."

"If that's what's best, he could tell the whole world…" Tony replied.

"_That_ would be a bad idea," Stephen told him. "Your son's actions healed millions of people of everything from broken bones to cancer. If they knew what really caused it, and had someone to focus on? It'd be a nightmare for Peter. They'd start religions and who knew what else? Not to mention hounding him for more healing – which we know isn't going to happen."

"Good point."

Of course, Tony and Pepper had already discussed just that, as well.

"No. Bird can't tell anyone, so he's a good choice."

"Do we tell Peter?"

"Why you're bringing in his psychologist? Might as well; he's bright enough to figure it out. Besides, he knows the possibility is there, too. I spoke with him about it, and I'm sure Alec has, as well. We'll have them both working on helping him level out a little."

"Good plan. In the meantime…?"

"Go check on him. Do what you have been doing. When Thompson gets here, we'll check the hand. We were going to do it tomorrow, regardless, so a day early won't hurt anything. Depending on how it looks, maybe we'll see about losing some of the bandages. That'll make him feel like we're accomplishing something."

Tony nodded.

"Anything else we need to know, right now?"

"He didn't kill the deer?"

"No."

"Make sure you tell him that."


	110. Chapter 110

Peter's eyes were closed when Pepper and Tony walked up to the bed that they'd put him in, but he must have heard them coming – or _felt_ them – because he opened his eyes just as they stopped beside the bed. His expression was worried, as it so often was, and Tony sat on the edge of the bed, while Pepper leaned over the boy and kissed his cheek, lovingly, before pressing her cheek against him and holding in place for a long moment. The cloak of levitation, which _had_ been cuddling him, moved to avoid being caught between them.

"Hi, sweetheart."

He brought his left hand up to her cheek to hold her in place, and they both heard him sob.

"I'm _sorry_…"

It was muffled by his contact with Pepper, but it sounded broken and so sad. She made a soft noise and hugged him, carefully, while Tony rested his hand on Peter's leg, squeezing it, lightly, to give him contact that he needed so badly.

"It's alright."

"I hit a deer."

"He's fine. It didn't even _hurt_ him."

"I wrecked the car…"

"I know, sweetheart," Pepper crooned, still holding him. She could feel him trembling. "It's alright. We'll fix it."

"I'm so _stupid_… I do everything wrong."

"You're fine, Peter Parker," Pepper told him, firmly. "You're not stupid. You just have had a rough time, lately, and it's catching up to you. You're sore, and you hurt, and the world seems to be coming down hard on you, but we're here. Understand? We'll _always_ be here, with you."

Another sob.

"I'm sorry I worried you."

_Again_. But it went unsaid.

"You didn't." Pepper kissed him, again, and pulled back, so she could smile down at him. "Do I _look_ worried?"

Peter's eyes were watery, and the stitches were swollen and red. He looked up at her, though, and had to shake his head. She looked like she loved him.

"No."

"Because I'm _not_. We're fine, and _you're_ fine. Got it?"

He nodded.

"Yes."

"How does your head feel?"

"Sore."

"And your _hand_?" Tony asked.

"It's sore, too," Peter admitted.

Stark waited for Pepper to move back, just a little, allowing him a better look at his son's head. The stitches looked painful, but he was careful to keep his worry to himself.

"Doctor Thompson is coming to take a look at it and make sure you didn't hurt it, further. Stephen said the x-rays are coming back looking good, so it doesn't seem like you did more than hit it. Painful, but not debilitating."

"Oh. That's good."

It felt like it was going to fall off – even with the pills that they'd given him.

"It is." Tony reached out and carefully brushed Peter's hair back from his forehead. "It could have been a lot worse."

"The deer really lived?" Peter asked. "You're not just saying that?"

"What does Alec say?"

There was a slight pause.

"That it hit the car and bounced off and must have lived because you didn't find him when you looked."

"Correct." Tony glanced at Pepper, and then back at Peter. "By the way; you're _grounded_."

He looked surprised – almost shocked – for just a moment, and then resigned.

"For destroying the Pontiac? I deserve it."

"Taking the car out when you were so upset _wasn't_ the best idea," Tony told him. "But _that_ isn't why you're grounded. That was an emotional thing, and we get it. We _do_. If I had a dollar for every time I reacted before thinking things through, I'd be twice as wealthy as I am, right now, and momma could retire."

"Then why are you grounding me?" Peter asked, so confused that he had forgotten how upset he was – and how much he hurt.

"Because you drove without your seatbelt on," Pepper replied. "_That_ isn't alright, Peter Parker. _Ever_. If you'd been buckled in, you wouldn't have hit your head. Or your hand."

"_And_ you could have been seriously hurt," Tony added.

"Oh."

"No driving – _any car_ – for a month."

"Okay."

It could have backfired, Tony knew. Punishing him – on top of all the self-loathing and uncertainty he was already experiencing could have just dug him into a deeper funk. Instead, it seemed to be doing the trick. He wasn't going to enjoy the punishment, but it was what he felt he deserved, they assumed.

Besides, it _was_ what he deserved.

"We're not finished," Pepper told him. "When the bandages come off, you'll present yourself to Deena – or whatever bartender is working the lounge. Two hours a day you will be the kitchen helper."

"For how long?"

"Until we say otherwise."

He scowled at that one. That was fine with them, though, because it was _supposed_ to be a punishment. Something for him to think about the next time he was allowed behind the wheel of a car.

"Fine."

A few dishes weren't going to kill him, he supposed.

"And no phone for two weeks," Tony added.

"_What?"_

The billionaire smiled at the way his voice went up a couple of octaves at that restriction.

"Two weeks, son. I want to make sure you _really_ suffer."

What he really wanted was a chance for Peter to heal – mentally and physically – before he had any more phone calls that might set him off. And this was an ideal way to accomplish that without letting him realize what they intended.

"That's _forever_…"

"It'll probably seem like it," Tony agreed.

"But…" he looked at Pepper, who smiled, almost apologetically, but well aware that she and Tony were going to have to present a united front. She wished she had a video camera, though. The first time they grounded him was momentous, after all. He was a teenager. He was supposed to do things to get in trouble, and while she didn't like anything to do with this present situation, it was still a milestone for them. "How will I talk to Ned?"

"If you're feeling better, we'll still have him out this weekend," Pepper said. "For a day. We don't want you isolated from your friends any more than necessary, right now."

"Especially since Shuri has to head home in the next day or two," Tony told him. "Not for too long," he added. "But T'Challa is going to think that we're planning on keeping her if we don't send her back to check in every now and then."

That made Peter smile, despite the shock of being grounded. It'd been a long time since he'd done anything foolish – or rebellious – enough to get into real trouble, and the last person who had grounded him had been May. When he was fourteen, or something. He knew that as a princess, Shuri had a lot of responsibilities and duties – and none of them included keeping Peter Parker company. Although he appreciated that company, just then.

"Yeah." He leaned back against the pillows, feeling a little less anxious than he had. Still sore, of course, and always worried, it seemed. But not so anxious. "She isn't going home _today_, though?"

"No," Tony assured him. "Not until we know how your hand is – and give her a chance to spend some time with you to make sure you didn't hurt yourself."

"I was pretty dumb…" he said. Again. This time more ruefully. "I don't know what I was thinking. I _wasn't_."

"You were just reacting." Tony nodded. "It's alright. _Really_. As long as we don't have a setback with your hand, the worst that will come out of this is that you have a scar on your forehead – and Deena gets a kitchen helper for a while."

Peter reached for Pepper's hand, almost shyly, and she cuddled up against him, knowing him well enough to know that he wanted to be held. And definitely willing to do that service.

"You're here for the rest of the day, Stephen tells us," she said, her arm going behind him so she could put it around him and bring his cheek to her shoulder. "Then you can be back in your own bed."

"How bad is the car?" he asked, hesitantly.

Afraid of the answer.

"It's not pretty," Tony admitted. "But we'll look it over and see what we need to do to restore it. Don't worry about the _car_, Peter. Or the _deer_. Worry about helping me figure out what we're going to do for mom for her birthday – we're officially three days out and counting."

Pepper smiled, pressing a kiss against the side of Peter's head.

Worry about reining him in, so he doesn't decide on something too crazy, sweetheart. Please?"

"Crazy?" Tony gave her an innocent look that neither of them were fooled by. "It's not crazy to want to spoil the love of your life. Is it, Peter?"

Feeling so much better, and eased by their own reaction to his stupidity, Peter was able to smile.

"No."

"Spoil me here at home, though," she told them both – seriously. "I mean it."

"Yes, dear."


	111. Chapter 111

They were discussing birthday ideas (not too stringently, since Tony did want some element of surprise to be involved) when there was a polite knock on the door and Strange and Doctor Thompson both walked in. A nurse was following, carrying a covered that that turned out to be filled with instruments for removing bandages. Pepper and Tony moved from the bed, freeing space for the newcomers. Natasha had made an appearance, as well, walking in with Strange, but she was silent as she moved to stand on the other side of the bed, out of the way, but in a position where she could see everything that was happening. Peter looked over at her, but she gave him a reassuring smile and turned her attention to the doctors, and so did he.

"Peter," Doctor Thompson said, giving the boy a smile. "How do you feel?"

"Stupid."

Both doctors smiled at that, and Thompson sat on a rolling stool, and maneuvered to the side of the bed.

"Wrecked your car, from what I understand?"

"Yeah. I hit a deer."

"And a _tree_," Tony added. "Thank you for coming out."

"You're welcome, of course." The doctor reached for the scissors off the tray that was being held close at hand by the patient nurse, and all of them watched as the bandages were carefully cut away from the hand and the arm. Then the sling was removed, and the nano soaked bandages were cut, as well. "The x-rays were coming back with no breaks from the impact, so let's take a look, shall we?"

They all craned to look as the hand and arm were revealed inch by inch until the bandages were placed to the side of the bed.

"It _looks_ better…" Tony said, never afraid to speak up.

A habit from his earlier days that he hadn't lost.

"It looks very good, indeed," the heart doctor agreed. He was carefully turning it palm up and examining it. "Still a little red, but the wounds are all closed, and the skin is intact." He ran his hand along Peter's palm. "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah. Tickles a little."

"Good. Move the fingers…"

Thompson ran Peter through several different mobility tests and made pleased noises after each try – and success. Then he ran his hand along the arm, palpating it and watching Peter's reactions as he did. He looked at Tony and Pepper, not missing the concern in their expressions and smiled with a slight shrug.

"It's incredible. Really. He's going to need some physical therapy for the hand – which is _not_ one of my areas of expertise – but it really looks good. He shouldn't have any problems with the hand – or the arm."

"Do we need to rebandage it?" Pepper asked, smiling her relief.

"A brace will protect it well enough, I think." He examined the hand, again. "I don't see any bruising, or any signs of trauma from the accident, either." He looked up at Peter. "Be careful, though. Better doesn't mean healed."

"Yeah. No, I'll be careful."

"We'll brace it for a week or so," Stephen said, turning to the nurse, who nodded, set the tray down and left the room. "You have physical therapists here, Tony?"

"Plenty of them." It was military, after all. There was always someone tweaking a muscle or breaking something in a training accident. "We can set it up locally."

"Not too much to start," Thompson cautioned. "I don't want him overdoing it."

"We'll be careful," Tony said.

Obviously.

The nurse returned with a brace, which she handed to Strange. Having a bit more experience with injured hands, it was Stephen who applied the brace to Peter's right hand, strapping it on. He looked at Peter.

"If you're careful, we can forgo the sling, as well. Keep bumping it on things and we immobilize it. Understand?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He looked at Flash's father. "Thanks, Doctor Thompson."

"You're welcome." The doctor looked at Tony and Pepper – and Natasha. "Any questions?"

Tony looked at Pepper, who shook her head, at Natasha who smirked, and then back at the doctor.

"None. Thanks, again."

"My pleasure."

"Can we offer you dinner?" Pepper asked. "We probably pulled you away from something to come out."

"I appreciate the offer, but no."

The doctor made his exit, the nurse cleaned up the used bandages and carried them out, and Tony took Peter's now braced hand in his, examining the contraption with interest.

"How does it feel?"

"Aches a bit."

"And your _head_?"

"Hurts."

"Feed him dinner and let him get some sleep, Tony," Stephen told him. "We'll check on him in the morning and decide what we want to do."

"Yeah." He let Peter's hand go, and the boy tucked it against his side, still protective of it. "Hungry?"

"Sure."

Which meant that he wasn't, really, but that he'd eat to keep them from worrying. And that was fine with all of them.

"I'm going to take my cloak and go home," Strange said, looking at the relic, which had been limply playing dumb blanket while the doctor had been checking Peter's hand, but was now cuddled against the boy, once more. "I'll be back in the morning."

"Thank you, Stephen," Pepper told him, sincerely.

The cloak grumbled in Peter's mind, but it didn't rebel. With a final caress, it left Peter's bed and floated to its normal position on Stephen's collar.

"I'm going to go walk him out," Natasha said to Peter, also looking relieved. "I'll be back to check on you before bed."

The boy nodded, and Tony breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief when they were gone.

"No new damage from the steering wheel. That's good."

"So, I'm not grounded?" Peter asked, hopefully.

"Oh, you're _still_ grounded. It's just now I don't have to feel guilty about doing it."

Pepper smiled at the way Peter rolled his eyes at that.

"Should I stay home, tomorrow?"

"You can't," Peter told her. "Shuri is supposed to be going to the tower with you. If she's going home, soon, it might be her only chance to go and I don't want my stupidity to be the reason she doesn't get to."

Pepper didn't look convinced, but Tony put his hand on her shoulder.

"We'll wait and see, Pep. If he's good in the morning, then we should be alright for you to go."

She might have argued, but she didn't want to upset Peter now that they had such a good prognosis and _he_ was looking relieved, too.

"We'll see."

That was a mom response, and even though she didn't see it that way, Peter definitely did. He didn't argue, though; instead he settled back into the pillows, wincing at the aching in his head, but feeling so relieved that he couldn't help but smile. The hand was out of the bandages, now, and he could see all his fingers – and wiggle them, too, if he wanted to. Which he did.

"What do you want for dinner?" Tony asked, as Pepper settled herself on the edge of his bed.

"Anything."

"Burger?"

"Yes." He reached for Tony. Though, before he could leave to go get it. "I'm sorry. _Really_."

The billionaire smiled, and leaned over, pressing his cheek against Peter's in a move that was solely designed to comfort.

"I know you are, son. It's alright." He backed off, brushing Peter's hair out of his eyes, avoiding the stitches. "It's almost a _relief_, really, that you finally did something so dumb."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mom and I were beginning to think that you were some kind of an _alien_, and not a teenaged boy who was _supposed_ to be making dumb decisions all the time. This way we don't need to dissect you to make sure."


	112. Chapter 112

They stayed and kept him company while he ate dinner, although they weren't hungry, yet, and didn't eat. Instead they made small talk with him, and with each other, and watched as he started to fall asleep in the middle of the meal.

"So much for spending the evening playing games to keep him from going stir crazy," Pepper said softly, as Tony pulled the tray from Peter's lap before he could spill anything.

"Yeah." He watched as she settled him a little more comfortably against the pillows and then covered him. "Not surprising, though."

And nothing for them to worry about. It had been a long day, after all.

"Any idea where Nutmeg is?" she asked, knowing Tony could find the kitten with help from Friday.

"Romanoff has him in the lounge."

Pepper smiled.

"Sounds like a finale to Clue; Natasha, in the lounge, with the Flerkin."

Tony nodded, equally amused.

"She'll want to check on Peter, later, so she can bring Nutmeg here when she does. You're going to finish working on your preparations for tomorrow?"

She hesitated.

"I _should_ just stay home. Shuri wouldn't mind."

"_Peter_ would, though," Stark told her. He didn't need to say anything more than that, because she knew he was right. No sense making him feel bad about having Pepper stay home, ostensibly because of his brash – and _dumb_ – actions. "Don't worry; I'll hang out with him, tomorrow, while you're gone. We'll see how he feels and line up the physical therapist and I'll see what he thinks about having Doctor Bird come out."

"You think he'll hesitate?"

"Nah. He likes the guy. Besides, it's no different than him going into the city to see him – only this way we save gas money."

She rolled her eyes, amused at that, and then nodded.

"Fine. I'll go talk to Shuri and make sure she still wants to go."

"Which she will."

Of course she would.

"On the plus side, if she watches me working, she can tell T'Challa that it was a learning experience and he might allow her to stay another day or two."

"Maybe." He got up, picking up the tray that he'd rescued. "Kiss your son goodnight and let's go talk to the others."

Peter roused, slightly, when Pepper did as she was told. Either the kiss to his cheek, or her hair tickling his neck when it fell along him when she leaned over. He opened his eyes, looking up at her, sleepily.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes," she told him, softly. "You're okay?"

He nodded, reaching for her hand with his left one.

"It's morning?"

"No. Go to sleep, sweetheart."

He closed his eyes and did as he was told, and Pepper waited until his breathing was slow and steady once more before walking across the room to hold the door for Tony so they could leave.

OOOOOOO

There were several people in the lounge when the two arrived. Most were simply relaxing, getting ready to start their new week, but enjoying the last few hours of the weekend, while they could. They were also waiting (whether they wanted to admit it or not) to hear from Tony or Pepper how Peter was doing. Steve, Carol, Shuri and Clint were sitting with Natasha at one table – with Groot – and all of them looked up when Pepper walked over, while Tony delivered the dinner tray to the bar.

"How's Peter?" Steve asked, looking concerned.

"He's fine," she assured them. Groot looked up from the video game that he'd been playing, but Pepper was relieved when he didn't say anything. There was no one there to translate for them, after all. "Hit his head and his hand, but they took the bandages off the hand and put it in a brace, now."

"Yeah, that's what Nat said," Clint said. "Any permanent damage?"

Pepper smiled, honestly relieved and not hiding it.

"No. It looks very good. The doctors agree. We'll start physical therapy on it as soon as possible."

"It was a nasty wreck," Carol said. "What was he thinking? He had to know that he couldn't really steer that well with only one hand."

"He wasn't," Tony told them, joining the group and sitting next to Pepper. He looked at Carol, realizing her wording. "You saw it?"

"We pulled up the footage from the security cameras," Steve said. "Have _you_ watched it?"

"No."

Tony was curious enough to do so, now, though, and he and Pepper both watched – along with the others – as Peter fishtailed out of the garage, and down the road – only to have the deer jump out onto the road and actually hit the Pontiac, rather than the Pontiac hit it. They saw the car lose control and Pepper literally gasped at just how hard it slammed into the tree where it came to a rest, the figure inside slumped over the wheel.

"It looks worse than it was," Steve said, not missing her reaction and instantly trying to reassure.

"No. It was pretty _bad_," Natasha said, stroking Nutmeg's furry belly. "But Peter's more durable than most, thank goodness."

Shuri clearly hadn't enjoyed watching the accident, again. Not only because Peter was hurt, but because the car was a mess and she knew how much Peter loved the car. And why.

"Is he awake?" she asked.

"He fell asleep during dinner," Tony replied. "Hopefully he'll sleep through the night. You can check in with him before you and Pepper go to the tower."

The princess smiled, looking surprised.

"We are still going?"

"Of course. Peter was adamant that you don't miss the opportunity," Pepper answered, looking a little chagrined. "But we'll wait and see how he feels – just in case."

"Stephen and Dr. Thompson both seem to think that he's going to heal just fine," Tony told them. "I'm not too worried."

None of them really believed that he wasn't worried, but he was hiding it well, anyway.

"He's grounded, by the way," Pepper added.

Shuri looked curious.

"That is really a thing?" she asked. "Grounding people?"

"I am groot?" the young tree asked, also looking up.

Pepper shrugged at Groot, apologetically, but gave the princess a slight smile.

"Yes. It's really a thing."

"So he cannot leave the compound?" Shuri asked. "Or his quarters? Or his bedroom?"

"He's not allowed to drive for a month," Tony explained.

"It'll probably take a month to get his car running, again," Clint pointed out.

"True."

"What else?" Natasha asked, curiously.

She could read Tony well enough to know that there was more.

"Kitchen helper two hours a day until we release him."

Steve rolled his eyes.

"He doesn't mind helping out in here…"

The punishments sounded severe, but they weren't, really.

"_And_…?" Natasha asked.

Tony smirked.

"No phone for two weeks."

"Ouch…" Clint said, shaking his head, amused. "_That's_ the painful one."

"Yes."

Shuri frowned.

"So I cannot call him?"

"Correct."

"But I am going home, soon," she pointed out. "I will not be able to see him."

"You can still send him emails, or even regular letters," Tony told her. "He's not grounded from the internet, but starting tomorrow, he won't have access to his phone for two weeks. No phone calls, no texting, nothing."

"Poor guy," Natasha said, wryly. She rubbed her finger against Nutmeg's fuzzy face. "Grandpa's mean… isn't he? Treating poor daddy so badly – and just for making a little mistake."

"It was a serious lapse of judgement," Pepper disagreed. "He could have been killed."

"You are grounding him for wrecking the car?" Steve asked. "Or for not wearing his seatbelt?"

"For not wearing his seatbelt," Tony confirmed. "The car can be fixed. If he'd hit any harder it's possible that _he_ might not have been."

"I can still talk to him?" Shuri asked.

"Yes. Of course. Not until tomorrow, though. We want him to sleep through the night – if he can."

"Is he grounded to the compound, then?" Clint asked, curiously.

The two Starks looked at each other, uncertainly. Clearly that hadn't actually come up. Tony shrugged.

"No. He's fairly restricted, anyway, when it comes to his forays out into the wide world, just by nature of who he is and who he relates to. He doesn't need to be confined by being in trouble, too. If he wants to go somewhere, now, though, he'll have to ask someone for a ride, is all."

"It won't kill him," Pepper added.

"And if he gets an urge to go do something as spiderman?" Carol asked.

Another shrug.

"It'll depend on his _hand_, really. We can't really help him do his thing, there… my suit isn't going to be shooting webbing anytime soon. Rescue isn't designed to swing from buildings – and we all know Steve is afraid of heights."

Rogers rolled his eyes.

"I am _not_," he told Shuri and Carol. "It was _one_ time, and it wasn't the height; it was the tacos we'd had at lunch."

Tony smirked.

"We'll just to have to play that by ear," he concluded. "If something comes up, we'll deal with it however we need to. We're going to have Bird come in, just to make sure he has someone to unload on if he needs it, and we'll keep an eye on his activities – without him realizing it – so we can keep him from overdoing it with his hand until he's healthier."

"Can I help?" Shuri asked.

"You already do," Natasha said before Tony could reply. "He knows you're there for him if he needs someone his own age."

She blushed at that, but you had to know her well in order to notice. Tony smiled at the reaction – because he _did_ know her well enough to notice.

"Enough talking about Peter," he said. "You can all have a chance at him, later. Pepper and I need some dinner, and then we will be available for whatever amusements come to mind."

"Not Spoons, though," Pepper added.

"Correct. Not Spoons."

"I am groot?"

No one needed a translator.

"We'll have Peter show you, later," Tony promised.


	113. Chapter 113

"_Peter's on the move."_

Tony wasn't surprised. He looked over at Pepper and watched her sit up in the bed She didn't look surprised, either. Or _concerned_, for that matter.

"Where is he heading?" she asked the AI.

"_Unclear. Projection; to the garage if he doesn't change direction."_

"Sleepwalking?" Pepper asked, looking over at Tony.

"Probably. I expected it." He'd had a rough day, after all, and even though he'd woken when they'd stopped in to check on him earlier and assured them both that he didn't need them to stay with him, there was little doubt that the events of the day were weighing down on him, even if it was all just subconsciously. "I'll go check on him."

"Bring him back here," she told him.

"Right."

He was grounded, true, but not from them of course.

Stark threw his blankets back and got out of the bed, heading for the door.

OOOOOOOOO

Peter _was_ in the garage. He was standing by the front of the Pontiac, looking at it carefully with one hand in a brace and the other holding Nutmeg. He looked over when Tony walked up, but then looked back at the car.

"I really screwed up, didn't I?"

Tony looked at him, and hesitated.

"What's the airspeed velocity of a laden swallow?"

Despite the damages he was looking at, Peter's expression went from troubled to slightly amused as he realized the reason for the odd question.

"I'm not sleepwalking – although I wish it was all a bad dream."

"Answer the question, son."

"An African or a European swallow?"

Stark smirked, and then went to stand beside the boy, resting a hand on his shoulder for just a moment before he reached over and took Nutmeg from him. The kitten was willing – as always – to be transferred from one person to another, and he sniffed Tony's hand, briefly and started gnawing on a knuckle.

"It looks worse than it really is," he said, looking at the damages on the car. "Mostly cosmetic, from what I see."

"But it's a classic. We're not going to be able to find parts, are we?"

He shrugged.

"If we can't find something, we'll manufacture it. The workshop here is more than capable of all the metal and chrome. It'll take a while, most likely – and we'll definitely need a new paint job – but you won't be able to tell anything happened by the time we're finished."

"You'll help me?" Peter asked. "Even though I was so dumb?"

"Of course I will, son. Don't be so hard on yourself; this is one of those life lessons people are always talking about."

"My dad's probably pretty pissed that I wrecked grandpa's car."

Tony shook his head.

"He's glad that you're not hurt. Worse than you were, that is. How's the head?"

"It's alright."

"You need some rest. Pepper told me to bring you back to bed with us."

"Because she thought I was sleepwalking?"

"Probably."

"I'm okay. Really. Tell her I wasn't sleepwalking, and that I'll see her in the morning."

"You're going to bed?"

Which plainly told Peter that if he wasn't, then Tony would stay up with him until he did. Mainly to make sure that he made it there. He nodded, since he didn't have any real reason to stay up – he'd just wanted to take a look at the car to see for himself what damage he'd done to it.

"Yes. I'm tired."

"I'll walk with you part way…" They turned and left the garage and walked in amicable silence a short while, but since he had him, Tony decided to breach another subject. "We were thinking about having Doctor Bird come out here," he told Peter, casually. "So you can hash out some of what happened with him, in case you need someone who isn't a parental figure – or an Avenger – to talk to about what happened. What do you think?"

"Does he know what happened?"

"No. Not yet. But we'd be good with telling him. Some of it, anyway. About the light, and the stones. Maybe discuss with him some of the choices that you were forced to make. If you want to, that is."

"_Why does it sound like he knows about me talking to May?"_

"_Because he does,"_ Alec replied. _"He and Pepper both do. They needed to know. It affects you, after all, and your mental well-being. It will also help them to understand why you're being so moody."_

"I'm not being moody."

If the ancient sorcerer had eyes to roll, he would have – and Peter knew it. Rather than annoy him, though – which he thought that it should – he was amused. Alec didn't say anything else about Peter's moodiness, but he did speak up.

"_Tony's waiting,"_ he reminded him.

"Yeah. I'd be alright with that," Peter said, stopping when they reached the cross corridor that led to Tony's quarters one direction and the infirmary the other. "But I don't want to tell him _everything_… We don't have to, do we?"

"Do we tell him you were hurt?"

"He's going to know that, anyway."

"Do we tell him _how_ you were hurt? Your _hand_, I mean – not the deer."

"I don't know…" Peter told him, uncertainly. "What do you think he'd say? Maybe he won't believe us…"

Tony shrugged and handed Nutmeg back to Peter.

"Go to bed, son. There's time to discuss it, later."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Tony waited until Peter had carried his kitten down the corridor and vanished around a corner before he turned and headed bac to his quarters – and his bed. Pepper frowned when he walked in.

"Where's Peter?"

"He wasn't sleepwalking," he told her. "He was just up to look at the damages to the car."

"Is he alright?"

"He said to tell you that he's fine, that he loves you, and he will see you in the morning before you leave for work."

She smiled.

"Definitely."

He was alone when he woke the next morning.

Well, not _completely_ alone; Nutmeg was tucked in the junction of his neck and shoulder, asleep but purring a rhythmic staccato rumbling against his skin as the kitten dozed with him. Peter opened his eyes, achy and fuzzy-headed and looked around, almost automatically, for Tony or Pepper.

"_They're in their own bed,"_ Alec reminded him.

Peter yawned, and nodded, which woke his kitten. Nutmeg uncoiled himself, stretched mightily and then moved to a new position on Peter's chest. There, he kneaded his t-shirt (and his little claws made themselves felt through the thin fabric) and plopped bonelessly back down to renew his nap in the new spot.

Natasha had stopped by the night before, handing him Nutmeg and checking him, carefully, as she did. Obviously, she was debating whether she should stay and keep him company overnight, as well. He understood; it had been a rough day and they all knew when he had a day like that, he rarely stayed in his bed that night. He'd told her that he was fine, though, and had sent her to her bed. She'd gone, eventually, respecting that he was old enough to be able to decide if he needed someone with him – although now, he kind of wished that she was there, since he was a little cold, and there was something amazingly restful about waking up wrapped in the arms of a pretty woman.

"_You're spoiled,"_ Alec told him. "_No other sixteen-year-old has Avenger cuddle buddies."_

Peter smiled, even though no one was there to see it. He looked up at the plain white ceiling and had to agree. He _was_ spoiled – a _little_ – he supposed. It felt _good_, though, knowing that they were there for him if he needed them to be. As if thinking about her had summoned her, there was a light tap on his door, and Natasha poked her head into the medical room.

"Decent?"

He nodded, realizing when she walked in that she was already dressed and ready for her day – although she wasn't wearing a uniform. Instead, she was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a blouse.

"Taking the day off?"

"I have a couple of things I need to do this morning," she told him, coming over and sitting on the edge of the bed. "And I need to go to the sanctum and bring the car home. Left it parked on the street, yesterday."

"Is Stephen here, yet?"

"He's talking to Pepper and Tony – making sure they're not going to let you overdo things being kitchen helper in the lounge."

Peter made a face at that.

"You heard I got grounded?"

Natasha's smile was commiserating. She reached out and brushed his bangs back from his forehead.

"Yes. It had to happen, eventually, right?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"At least you're not restricted to your bedroom…" she pointed out. "That would suck."

"Yeah."

He got off easy, he supposed. Probably because Tony and Pepper were still new at the parent thing – which meant new at the discipline thing, too.

"How did you sleep?"

"Okay. Took a while."

"Does your head hurt?"

"Not too much."

"And your hand?"

"No. I think it's alright."

"I'll check it to make sure," Stephen told him from the door, catching the last sentence as he walked into the room with Pepper and Tony – who were both dressed for their day, as well; Pepper in a dress that made no attempt to hide her figure, but was no nonsense, as well, and Tony in jeans and a polo. "Then you can have breakfast with Pepper before she and Shuri go to the tower."

The others watched as Stephen checked Peter's hand, and then put the brace back on.

"Well?" Tony asked.

"It looks good. It's not healed, though…" he added. "I don't want you to try anything without the brace on. Got it?"

"Yes. I don't have to stay in bed, do I?" Peter asked.

That made Strange hesitate, and then shrug.

"I suppose not. But you're going to tire, easily. Nothing strenuous. Got it?"

Peter nodded, and Strange looked at Tony – who nodded, as well.

"Of course."

The doctor leveled a stern look at his young patient.

"I want you to get some rest," he added. "When I come check on you, tonight, you should be rested and refreshed. If you look more tired when I check on you, that means you didn't do as I said – and then I'll restrict you to your bed. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Good." He looked at Tony and Pepper. "I'll be at the sanctum, today, if you need anything."

"Thank you."

Strange walked out, with Natasha walking beside him, after she smiled a goodbye to Peter.

"Are you coming for the car?" he guessed.

She nodded and was suddenly looking a little odd. At least, she was wearing an expression that he didn't recognize.

"I need to talk to you," she added, watching as he made a portal for them, and they walked through. "About a personal matter, though – so definitely better to be discussed here, than in front of all the video cameras at the compound."

The portal closed and Stephen turned to her, wondering why she looked so uncertain.

"What is it?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"

Romanoff nodded.

"I think so… but… well, I'm _bleeding_."


	114. Chapter 114

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. _Really_." Peter smiled, because he'd already had this conversation with Natasha, and then Tony and Pepper while they had breakfast, and now he was having it again with Shuri, who was dressed and ready to leave the compound with Pepper and Happy, who was driving them into the tower. They were leaving, soon, and Pepper had already told him to call her if he needed anything. "Have fun, today. Bring me back a surprise."

She smiled, sitting on the edge of his bed, nibbling on a slice of toast she'd stolen from his breakfast tray. She'd had breakfast, of course, but it was more fun to eat pilfered food.

"What should I bring you?"

"If I tell you, then it isn't a surprise," Peter pointed out. "Nothing too crazy, though. Pepper can help you decide."

Shuri looked dubious, but she shrugged.

"It'll make you feel better?"

"Everyone feels better getting a surprise."

"True." She looked him over, deciding that he seemed tired, despite having woken up so recently. "What are you doing today?"

"Spending some of it in bed," he assured her. "Unless Tony decides to make my kitchen helper punishment start today," he added, as the door to the room opened and the man in question walked into the room, silently, with Pepper beside him. "In which case, I will be spending at least two hours in the lounge."

"Surely he would allow you to wait until your hand is more healed?"

She'd heard – from _him_ – about his punishment and had been fascinated. Grounding wasn't something that she'd ever had done to her, before, after all – and not common in Wakanda, apparently.

"He might not," Peter told her, forcing himself not to smile when Tony rolled his eyes. "He's kind of a tyrant."

She realized that he wasn't serious, immediately, and looked over her shoulder to see Tony standing there, smirking.

"I _am_," he agreed. "It's part of my charm."

"Peter will _not_ be kitchen helper today, though," Pepper said – both to Shuri _and_ to Tony. "He'll be given a couple of days to recuperate, first, so we don't let him hurt his hand."

She looked at the boy, pointedly, and he nodded.

"I'll be careful. You're leaving?"

"We are." She moved to the side of the bed, leaned over and brushed a kiss against his cheek. "If you need anything, call me."

"Not _dad_?"

Pepper shrugged.

"If it's something you think _he_ will say no to…"

Peter smiled.

"Have a good day. Keep Shuri out of trouble."

The princess rolled her eyes and both females left the side of the bed. Tony looked at his son.

"I'm going to walk them to the garage. If you're feeling up for it, get dressed and we'll spend some time in the lounge so the others can reassure themselves that you're alright."

"Yeah." Peter reached for Nutmeg when the kitten made a move to jump off the bed. "I'll meet you there."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

OOOOOOOO

Strange frowned, and a small, clean towel immediately appeared in his hand. His eyes searched her body, quickly, confused and immediately concerned.

"Where? What happened?"

Natasha's expression went from uncertain to amused, immediately, at his misunderstanding.

"Put that away," she told him. "I'm not injured."

"Then what did you mean? You're bleeding? Where…" he trailed off at the look she gave him and she could tell when the realization hit; his expression turned from confused, to understanding – and then right back to confused. "Wait. You mean that you're… I mean… how is that possible? Are you certain?"

"No," she admitted. "Which is why I'm going to go get myself looked at – to find out."

"But…" he was surprised, she could tell. "You didn't speak with Dr. Adams at the compound?"

She would have been the first choice, he'd have thought. Not necessarily a gynecologist, but the doctors at the compound were versatile in their scope – as Stephen already knew.

"I'd rather find out, first," Romanoff said with a slight shrug. "And without big brother Tony's AI knowing what's going on. Just in case it's something else and I'm wrong. I'd rather face the disappointment alone. There's a free clinic just down the street from here. I can go in and be checked anonymously – I don't even have to give them my name. Then I can find out one way or the other."

"Oh." He raised an eyebrow. "Would you mind if I accompanied you?"

Natasha smiled, relieved.

"I'd appreciate it."

She didn't want to face disappointment alone, really. Not if he was offering her a hand to hold.

"Let me tell Wong I'm leaving."

"Yeah."

OOOOOOOO

It was still early enough that some of the others were having breakfast when Peter walked into the lounge. Clint was sitting at a table with Steve and all of the guardians, and his eyes lit up when Peter saw them and headed their direction.

"Peter Pony! Are you supposed to be out of bed?"

The boy smiled. When he stopped at the table a tendril of a branch reached him and carefully took Nutmeg from his uninjured hand.

"Yes. Stephen cleared me to be up – for a while, at least."

"Did you eat?" Steve asked, as Peter sat down between Rocket and Gamora.

"Yes."

"How's the hand?" Peter Quill asked him.

"And the _head_?" Rocket asked, looking at the neat row of stitches.

"They're okay." He held up his hand, showing them the brace. "The bandages are off."

"What kind of range of motion do you have?" Clint asked.

"The fingers all move." Peter smiled, feeling relieved at being able to say that. "It should be fine. Everyone says so, anyway."

Meaning the doctors who had looked at it.

"I am groot?"

"Not too much," the boy replied. "What have you guys been doing?"

He was suddenly interested in finding out everything that he may have missed while he'd been stuck in bed.

"Mainly doing a lot of upgrades to the Milano," Quill said. He smiled, looking pleased. "It's been a long time since we've been on land in a place filled with friendlies. It's pretty much a vacation, but also we'd be crazy not to take advantage of it and do some much needed repairs while we're in a position to do so."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want," Steve told them, sincerely.

"What do you do, next?" Peter asked, curiously. "Are you guys really space pirates? Or was that a rude question to ask?"

He had to admit that he wasn't certain of the protocol for that kind of question. And it wasn't one that he'd ever thought he'd ask in his entire life.

Gamora smiled, but before she could answer, it was Drax who spoke up.

"Space pirates _wish_ we were them," he said, unabashed, and clearly not offended by the question.

"We'll finish the retro on the ship, maybe spend a few days on a sunny beach, somewhere, and then decide," Quill replied.

"We have to take Sirah back to the collector," Mantis reminded them.

Steve frowned.

"I'm not going to let her be returned to that lifestyle," he told them. "She deserves better than being a servant at best and a slave at worse."

"She doesn't belong to us," Rocket pointed out. "It isn't our decision to make."

Tony was joining them, suddenly, and while he hadn't heard any of the conversation, he didn't miss Steve's scowl.

"What are you so mad about?" he asked, automatically checking Peter's expression to make sure whatever it was hadn't upset his boy, too.

"He wants to keep Sirah," Drax said.

"I don't want to keep her," Rogers corrected with an annoyed look at the alien. He wasn't at all inhibited by the large man's impressive physique – or the nickname Drax the Destroyer. He'd taken on bigger (maybe) and more dangerous (perhaps?) in his many years. "I just don't want anyone else to own her, either."

"Relax, Cap," Tony told him, sitting next to Groot and reaching out to run his finger along Nutmeg's furry head. "It so happens that I agree with you. Where is she?"

"On the ship, cleaning," Gamora replied. "She seems to feel like she's supposed to be earning her keep, so she insists on working – even when we tell her not to."

"See?" Steve said to Stark. "We're not going to allow her to get sent back to that kind of lifestyle."

It was a challenge, but Tony didn't look concerned.

"Right. I've been thinking about a solution to all of that – provided I understand how this Collector guy thinks…"

"Oh?" Gamora asked, looking skeptical. "What are you thinking?"

"He wants his reality stone back, right?"

"More than anything."

"Enough to trade it for amnesty for Sirah?"

"She's beneath him, Tony," Rocket said. "She's not going to be worthy of his attentions – not even enough to pardon her for anything that he might think she's done."

"Then he wouldn't notice if she never came back?" Peter asked.

"He'd notice if she never brought his stone back," Quill corrected. "He'd probably send people out to look for her – to find it."

"Not if someone returns it," Peter said.

"Exactly," Tony agreed, not surprised that Peter was on the same page. "If someone – or _someones_ – were to return his stone, he'd probably be pretty happy."

"You might say that," Gamora agreed.

"Might even give them a _reward_?" Peter asked, pointedly. "To make it worth taking back to him?"

Quill suddenly looked interested.

"A huge reward," he said. "And would be happy to have it back. More than willing to forget about a girl that he didn't care about, in the first place."

"So when Peter's hand can open the polymorph – and when you guys are ready – he'll pop the reality stone out, we'll put it in something to keep it from hurting anyone and you guys can take it back where it belongs and collect whatever reward you ask him for, I imagine."

Drax beamed – and he wasn't the only one. Rocket was practically drooling.

"But not with Sirah," Steve said.

"Correct." Tony shrugged. "We can find a place for her, here, I imagine."

Peter frowned, though, because while he was in agreement that she shouldn't be taken back where she came from, he wasn't a huge fan of the idea of her being in the compound. He hadn't forgotten how she'd looked at him, and he had his own problems with MJ, just then. He didn't want to add another girl to the issue.

"I like it," Clint said, approvingly. "She looks enough like us that no one will look twice at her."

"And we could probably name our price for the rock," Rocket said.

They all looked at Steve. He nodded.

"Yes."


	115. Chapter 115

Ned didn't have a lot of classes with MJ, but they tended to end up hanging out in the morning during their study period. It was a new thing that school year; they hadn't done it on purpose, but the schedule just happened to work out that way, and the teen looked up when MJ walked into the library, looking annoyed as she dropped her bookbag on the table.

"What's up?"

She shrugged.

"Did you talk to Peter?"

"Not since brunch. Why? Did _you_?"

"We had a fight."

Ned frowned.

"About what?"

"The usual. Him being reckless and hurting himself. Not telling the truth about how it happens…"

"You can't expect him to be able to just spill his guts," Ned told her. "You know that."

"Do _you_ know how he hurt his hand?"

"No. I wish I did, because it must be epic."

"_Shuri_ probably does…"

Ned looked at her, his expression changing a little.

"She doesn't. At least, I don't think she does. She saved his life, though, from what Tony and Peter both told me."

MJ scowled, but before she could say anything, they were interrupted.

"What's going on with Peter?" Flash asked, walking up to the table.

Both of them stared at him.

"Peter, who?" MJ asked.

The newcomer rolled his eyes.

"Peter _Pan_," he said, sarcastically. "Who do you think I mean? _Parker_."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, my dad got an emergency call to go out to the compound, yesterday, but wouldn't tell me what's going on when he got back. What happened?"

"No clue," Ned replied, honestly, still a little surprised that Flash seemed concerned. Or that he was actually curious enough that he wasn't being a jerk, automatically. "What did your dad tell you?"

"Nothing. I just told you that. We were just sitting down to lunch, when a call comes in. I heard the voice on the other side mumble something and say 'Peter', but that was all. Dad said he had to go, told mother where he was going and that he'd be back for dinner if he could."

"You're worried about _Peter_?" MJ asked.

"Of course not. I'm just curious what's going on with him."

"Must have happened after we had brunch," Ned said, more to MJ than Flash. "Everything looked good when Natasha took me home."

Flash looked at MJ.

"Call him and find out."

"Me?"

"You're his _girlfriend_, right? Call and check on him."

"I'm not his girlfriend," she snapped. "And probably the last person that he wants to talk to, right now."

"Call him and see."

Ned nodded his agreement.

"Do it, MJ. See what you can find out."

She scowled but reached for her phone.

OOOOOO

They were still sitting at the table when Peter's phone rang. He looked over at Tony, flushing slightly. It had been a habit to pick it up, even though he was grounded. His father raised an eyebrow.

"Who is it?"

Peter didn't need to look; he could tell by the ringtone.

"MJ."

Who was absolutely the last person that Tony wanted Peter talking to, just then.

"Voicemail."

The others; Clint and Steve, anyway, gave Peter a commiserating look. They agreed with Tony, though. None of them wanted Peter dealing with more than he already was. Not until he was a little healthier. Stark held out his hand, looking at Peter, expectantly, and the boy hesitated, unwilling to hand over his phone. It was his life's blood, after all.

"What if I need to call mom?" he asked. "She said to call if I need anything…"

"You can use Karen – or even Friday," was the prompt reply. "Or ask me."

Peter didn't look convinced, but he reached into his pocket and handed Tony his cell – which wasn't ringing, now.

"Ouch," Clint said, amused at the family dynamic he was watching.

He'd taken Cooper's phone a time or two, already.

"What do we do with Sirah?" Steve asked, changing the subject to take Peter's mind off losing his phone – even though it was only two weeks. Hardly the end of the world, after all. "I want to make sure she's taken care of." He looked at Gamora, knowing that she'd spent more time with the girl than anyone. "Suggestions?"

Gamora shrugged.

"I don't know your world well enough," she admitted. "Something where she won't be out of her comfort zone, I would suggest."

"We don't have servants here," Steve said.

"We'll think of something," Tony assured them.

"You might ask _her_ what she wants to do…" Mantis added.

"We will."

OOOOOOO

"He didn't answer," MJ told the two boys, shrugging. "I told you."

"Or, he's hurt, and he _can't_ answer it," Flash pointed out.

Ned rolled his eyes, wondering why Flash even cared – or was pretending to care.

"If he's not answering, then there isn't anything we can do, can we?"

"Or…"

The two looked at Flash.

"Or?" MJ prompted.

"_You're_ good with security networks, right?" Flash asked Ned.

"Yeah."

Everyone knew that. Ned was good with anything networking related.

"So my father keeps extensive records on everything that he does. It's secured, but you could get into it."

"You want me to hack your dad's records?"

"To find out what's going on. Yeah."

"Are you crazy? I could probably go to jail for that."

"Only if you got caught. You don't want to know what's going on with Peter?"

"I know what's going on with him. He's injured his hand and it's getting better."

"Call him," MJ suggested. "See if he'll talk to you."

Ned shrugged, and reached for his phone.

OOOOOOOO

"Is there anything that you need?" Tony asked Quill. "For your ship, I mean?"

"We're good," Quill said. "Although since I'm here, I'm going to retrofit the Milano with a new stereo system."

"We can do better than stereo," Tony told him. "Everything is digital, now. Peter could help you-"

He was interrupted when the cell phone in his pocket started ringing, again. This time it was a different ringtone and the billionaire looked at his son, again.

"That's _Ned_," Peter told him, correctly interpreting the look.

Stark rolled his eyes but hit the accept button.

"Peter Parker's cell phone, Peter's father speaking."

"_Mr. Stark?" _

The conversation around the table had stopped, so they could all hear the confusion in Ned's voice.

"Good morning, Ned. How are you?"

"_Oh. Good, thanks. I was trying to reach Peter."_

"Unfortunately, he isn't available, right now," Tony told Peter's best friend. "You'll have to wait two weeks to call him – but you can send him an email, if you want."

"_Oh_." Still confused, and Peter could understand why. Who sent emails when texting worked just as well_? "Yeah. Is Peter alright?"_

"He's fine, Ned. I need to go. You doing okay? Need anything?"

Just in case.

"_No. I'm good. Thanks."_

"See if your mother will let you come out, next weekend."

"_I will, thanks."_

The call ended, and Tony put the phone back into his pocket.

"As I was saying; Peter can help you with whatever you need if you want to really put some high-tech audio in your spaceship."

Quill beamed, and Peter looked pretty excited at the thought of getting a good look at the inside of the guardian's ship. A real _spaceship_? Who wouldn't be excited?

"Yeah. I could help," the boy told him.

"We accept."

OOOOOO

"Well?"

"It was Tony, not Peter."

"And?"

"He said I couldn't call Peter for two weeks."

"Why?" MJ asked. "Did he say?"

"No."

"Maybe Parker's dead."

MJ rolled her eyes – and Ned made a noise of derision.

"He said to ask if I could come over to the compound, next weekend. Peter isn't dead."

"But you don't really know, do you?"

"I'm sure he's not dead."

"Tell me you're not really curious, though," Flash said, sitting down, now, across from them. He lowered his voice. "We could find out what's really going on. It'd probably take you less than a minute."

Ned looked at MJ, who shrugged.

She was more annoyed that someone answered the phone for him, but not for her.

"Whatever."

Ned shrugged, too. He _was_ curious. And hated being on the outside looking in when it came to Peter.

"I need some information before I could look…"


	116. Chapter 116

A/N:

_Yeah, I don't know what happened to the end of that chapter, sorry! Thanks for mentioning it so I could fix it. ADDITION: it keeps putting that "at least on the end.. there's nothing else to the chapter. This site is driving me nuts._

OOOOOOO

"When are you planning on working on your ship?" Peter asked Quill.

He looked at the others, and shrugged.

"We're doing some repairs on the ship's skin, right now. Obviously those are harder to make sure they're done right when we're in space, so we've been taking advantage and pretty much going over it inch by inch. Once we're done with that, then we can start worrying about the inside."

"A few days, at least," Rocket said.

"If you work on it over the weekend, could Ned help?"

Quill shrugged, again, but looked at Tony to make sure he didn't have any objection to that. Stark didn't shake his head, or anything, so Peter nodded.

"We can do that."

"Great. Thanks."

"What is he doing today?" Clint asked Tony. "Is he cleared to be out of bed?"

They were interrupted by the arrival of Carol and Nick, who both looked Peter over, carefully, before joining them at the table. Carol had seated herself next to Groot and reached up and ran her finger along Nutmeg's furry head, eliciting a purr that they could all hear.

"He's good for a little while," Stark replied. "But I don't want him doing anything too strenuous." He looked at Peter. "Hear that? We're getting you back on your feet, let's keep you on them. Yeah?"

Peter nodded.

"Right."

"Is he grounded to the _compound_?" Clint asked.

Tony frowned. He and Pepper hadn't actually said anything about Peter being actually grounded to his room, or to the facility. He looked over at his son, whose expressive brown eyes were suddenly hopeful and uncertain.

"I suppose not."

"I'm making a training run down to North Carolina. We'd only be gone part of the day."

"Back when?"

"Whenever you say," Steve answered, readily. "We're doing a couple of flyovers to test our new stealth tech and a couple of alert readiness alarms on some military institutes. We're not even going to land, really."

Peter looked much more hopeful, now, and Tony couldn't have said no if he'd wanted to, now.

"Nothing strenuous," he repeated. "I don't want you looking tired when Pepper comes home. Got it?"

"Yes."

Tony leveled a look at Steve and Clint – both nodded.

"We won't let him do anything dumb," Clint promised, not bothering to hide his amusement at Tony's protective dad act.

Which wasn't an act, really.

"I am Groot?" the tree said, to Clint.

And suddenly _his_ big brown eyes looked hopeful, too, somehow.

Barton looked at Rocket for translation – although he was pretty sure what was being asked.

"He wants to go, too," the racoon confirmed.

"I don't see why not," Steve said, smiling at the craziness of taking a teenaged tree on a training run. Wild enough to be taking a teenaged superhero. "We're not landing, so no one will know."

"Stay out of trouble, though," Rocket told him.

"I am groot."

The tree looked happy, and he handed Nutmeg over to Carol.

"We'll be leaving in half an hour," Clint said, glancing at his watch. "Meet us on the pad."

"Sweet."

Peter excused himself to go change into his flight suit, and Fury frowned once he was gone.

"You sure he's up to that?" the director asked, uncertainly.

"He's just going to be in the jet," Clint said. "We won't let him fly, even – not with his brace. It'll give him a distraction from his tyrant father taking away his phone."

Which made Carol smirk.

"Grounded from the _phone_… the horror."

"It's worse now than it was when you were a kid," Steve told her, amused. "Way back in the olden days."

Danvers' eyes were lively.

"At least we _had_ phones when I was a kid."

"_Burn_…" Clint approved.

"Have him back before Pepper comes home, will you? Then he can be there when she drives in and she won't have to worry about him."

"We can do that." Steve looked at Danvers. "Want to come?"

She shook her head, caressing the furry body she was cuddling, just then.

"Nope. I'm going to keep the Flerkin company."

"Speaking of…" Fury said, reaching over and plucking the kitten from her grasp, turning him upside down and rubbing his belly – all while looking at it intently. "Does _Peter_ know what his kitten is?"

When Nutmeg's true nature had been revealed to them, Danvers had been shocked, but Fury simply looked like he was vindicated. And rightfully so, since he was the one who had been most suspicious of the kitten since Peter had brought him to the compound.

"He does," Tony confirmed. "And let Pepper and me know in no uncertain terms what he thought about us not letting him keep him."

"A Flerkin is a _dangerous_ creature," Gamora said.

They'd been shocked, as well; most of them had simply assumed Flerkin were myths – although Drax said that he'd fought one, once, and had come out only slightly wounded.

"We know that," Tony agreed. "Now."

"He isn't a danger to you and your people," Mantis disagreed. "He likes you."

"You can feel that?" Fury asked, surprised.

Of course, she was an _alien_, so what did he know?

"I can."

"Probably shouldn't spread the word about his true nature, though," Rocket said, reaching over and stroking the kitten's head. It was a freaking Flerkin, after all. Who wouldn't want to be able to say that they've touched one? "People find out about him, and they might come looking for him."

"To kill him?" Tony asked, frowning.

"Some. Others to take him. Or to worship him."

"He's a kitten."

"He's a legend," Gamora corrected. "There are some weird cults out there. Some people believe a flerkin will save the universe, someday."

Quill snorted.

"People are crazy."

"Besides," Clint said, amused, as well. "Peter beat him to it."

"The Collector is rumored to have had one," Gamora told them with a smirk.

"_Had_?" Tony echoed.

"It rebelled and gobbled up half of the collection before they were able to muzzle it – and he never got those items back."

"What did he do?" Steve asked, curiously.

"No clue," she admitted. "But it was probably returned to wherever he purchased or stole it from."

"Well, we'll keep ours a secret," Stark said. "But he's surrounded by superheroes, so if someone came, they'd find much more trouble than he's worth."

"He's a lot of trouble on his own," Carol said, looking down at the kitten. She'd heard the stories, after all. "Aren't you sweetheart?" she crooned, baby-talking the kitten, who was purring ferociously, now, under all the attention.

Steve rolled his eyes.

"You'll keep an eye on Jack for me?"

"Of course."

OOOOOOOO

It took a ridiculously short amount of time for Ned to get through the security that Doctor Thompson had on his personal medical files. The study period wasn't even close to being over when he made a triumphant sound, and hit a key on his laptop.

"Got it."

"What does it say?" MJ asked, curiously, looking over his shoulder.

"Called out yesterday because his patient injured his hand in a car accident."

MJ frowned.

"Car accident?"

"That's what it says. 'Suspected trauma from hitting the steering wheel."

"Not an airbag?" Mj asked. "He wouldn't be able to drive, yet. Not in the sling."

"It doesn't say," Ned told her – and Flash. He looked at the other boy. "Your dad's records are meticulous, but all it says is that there was a concern that the hand and arm were further injured, and when he looked them over, they were healing well enough that he suggested the bandages stay off, Peter wears a brace to protect the hand, and that he starts physical therapy as soon as possible."

"Maybe that's why Peter isn't available for two weeks?" MJ supposed. "For physical therapy?"

"That's stupid," Flash disagreed. "It's something you do a couple of times a day – at the most. Not something that would keep you off your phone. If he hit a steering wheel and not an airbag that means that the car he was driving didn't have an airbag. Probably that fancy one that he's always showing off."

Of course, all the cars at the compound were flashy – if they were Tony's, especially – but that was a good point. MJ frowned, concerned, and looked at Ned.

"Can we see if there is any security footage of the accident?" she asked. "There are cameras all over the avenger facility, right?"

"It didn't say where the accident happened," Ned pointed out.

"They have cameras, though, right?" Flash pressed.

"They do. Duh."

"Then hack them and see what you can find out."

"No." Ned actually already had hacked Karen – and he knew Peter already knew that (since he'd been the one to ask him to do it) and he was pretty sure that Tony knew, too. The guy was Ironman, after all, and probably the smartest person on the planet. "Breaking into your dad's files is one thing. The Avengers are my friends, though, and I won't go behind their backs. If it's something they want to share, then they will."

He was secretly thrilled at being able to say the avengers were his friends. Cheerful enough about it that he was able to ignore MJ's scowl and the way Flash rolled his eyes.

"Seriously?"

"Yup." Ned hit a few more buttons on the keyboard, clearing the data that was on the display and wiping out any evidence of his presence. "Sorry, guys. We'll have to wait and see what Peter has to say about it all."

"At least we know he's not dead."

MJ and Ned both looked at Flash.

"Seriously?"

They both wondered why he suddenly cared at all about how Peter was doing, but knew if they asked, directly, he wouldn't give them an honest answer, anyway.

He shrugged.

"You never know, right?"

"I need to study," Ned finally said, after staring at him for a few moments.

Then he'd do what Tony said and maybe send Peter an email. Just to see what he said – presuming that he answered.


	117. Chapter 117

"You're home sooner than I expected…"

Peter nodded, smiling at Tony – who had walked out to the Quinjet pad when Friday had advised the jet was returning. Stark had reached them just as the rear ramp was lowering.

"We didn't bring any lunch, so it was finish up and get home or try to explain Groot if we stopped at one of the bases to eat."

"Which would have been tricky."

"Tricky is one word for it," Steve said as Groot and he walked to the ramp as well. "It was fine, though. We accomplished everything that we set out to do."

"Good." He looked at Peter. "How do you feel?"

"A little tired," the boy admitted.

"How's the hand?"

"It's just sore. Nothing too bad."

"Good." Tony looked at his watch. "Mom and Shuri will be home in a couple of hours. Why don't you go take a nap and make sure you're refreshed for whatever they have planned for this evening?"

"Yeah."

Peter left without argument, and had already said his thank yous to Steve and Clint for taking him on their flight. Tony turned to Groot.

"Did you have a good time?"

"I am groot."

Which could have meant _anything_, of course, but the young tree nodded and smiled as well, and Tony took that as a yes.

"Good." Groot left, too, and Tony and Steve both wandered back into the jet to walk to the cockpit and watch Barton finish his postflight. "Anything interesting?"

Tony was always interested in the newest tech, after all. Even when it was just for the jet.

"We didn't stick around to debrief," Clint reminded him. "So we'll have to wait until the bases send us their results."

"I'll go over them and let you know," Steve promised.

"Good. Do we have anything planned, this evening?"

"Steve has a date…" Clint said, looking over his shoulder at them.

"It's not a date."

"With who?" Tony asked. "_Whom_?"

"Carol…" Clint's voice was a sing-song, now, and it was clear he was enjoying himself. "They're going to a movie."

"You and _Danvers_, huh?" Tony asked, smiling. "Huh."

"It's not a _date_," Steve protested. "We're just going to see a movie."

"In a dark theater," Clint reminded the others. "Where they can sneak kisses and fondle-"

"We're _not_ dating…"

"Sounds like you might be," Tony told him. "And why not? You're both adults. Do we need to talk about protection?"

Steve blushed, despite himself – and Clint and Tony both smirked. It was so much fun to tease him. Rogers took himself very seriously, most of the time, after all. And he was so perfect that he made Tony's teeth itch, sometimes.

"I had the talk with him," Clint assured the billionaire. "Somewhere over Virginia."

"I almost threw him out the back of the plane," Steve said.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I'm the _pilot_," Barton reminded him with a grin. "Peter's hand is injured – and he's never landed other than in a simulator. I was safe."

"We're on the ground, now, though," Tony pointed out.

"But now I can go hide behind his girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Rogers protested. "What are you? _Six_?"

"_Maybe_. I can finish the postflight, if you want to go start getting ready."

"I have a few things to do, first," he said. "But thank you."

Grinning like an idiot, Rogers left. Tony turned to Clint.

"Need anything?"

"Nah. Go do whatever you need to do. I'm going to finish here and then find Nat."

"She's not back from the sanctum, yet."

"Really? Do we know why?"

His way of asking if everything was okay.

"Probably lost track of time canoodling with Stephen."

"Canoodling?" Clint echoed. "Don't let _her_ hear you calling it that."

"I'm not crazy."

Stark left, then, also, and Clint shook his head and turned his attention back to what he was doing.

OOOOOOO

Karen woke Peter with the announcement that Pepper and Shuri were ten minutes out. He rolled over in his bed, winced when he rolled onto the brace, although he wasn't sure which hurt more; pinching the tender skin of his chest with the brace, or the pressure his weight put on the aching hand.

"Thanks, Karen," he told his AI, opening his eyes but not quite ready to wake up, yet.

He was pretty tired, but he wasn't going to admit it to anyone. The flight had been fun – especially with Groot on board. The young tree had enjoyed himself, and Peter, Steve and Clint had enjoyed watching him. Although a Quinjet couldn't be more exciting than a spaceship, Peter decided. It was still fun.

"_Peter?"_ Tony's voice came over his watch's com, and he knew that Tony had probably been told by Karen that he was awake. _"Mom's ten minutes out."_

"I'm awake," he assured him. "I'll meet you in the garage."

"_You alright?"_

"Yeah. Thanks."

He stretched and threw the blankets back, sitting up. He'd had the planet dream, and – as always – it had been comforting and relaxing. He slept pretty well watching planets spin on their axis in space, apparently.

"_The mind stone knows that, now,"_ Alec told him. _"So it'll do what it can to relax you."_

"That's nice of it."

He appreciated it, for sure.

"_Now that your hand is out of the bandages, you're going to need to start returning the stones to where they belong,"_ the ancient sorcerer told him. _"We can't keep them together like they are too much longer."_

The boy felt a shiver of anxiety at the thought of handling the raw power from the infinity stones, again – especially considering the way his hand was already hurting. But he knew that Alec was right; and that the vibranium of the polymorph was muting the power, but nothing could ever really stop it. It would end up being a beacon for trouble if they stayed together like they were.

"_The stones can mute themselves, to a degree,"_ Alec told him. "_They got a little excited when you snapped, is all. If you pull them from the polymorph one at a time, you shouldn't have any trouble."_

Peter nodded, rolling out of bed, sliding his feet into his shoes and heading for the door.

"We need to get Vision back on his feet, first, then," he said. "Can we do that this evening?"

"_It's up to you. And Tony, of course. He might make you be a kitchen helper."_

Peter rolled his eyes, annoyed and amused at the same time. Alec's people had no concept for grounding their young. Of course, in his society, the children had been right in the minds of the parents and had instantly known if their behavior was overreaching and could feel their disapproval and generally stopped whatever it was that they were doing that needed correcting. On the other end, the parents could feel what their offspring needed before they even had to voice it, so to speak, and they were able to provide that. It was definitely easier all around.

"_It wouldn't work with your species,"_ Alec told him as Peter headed down the corridor toward the garage. _"Your minds are too accustomed to being independent."_

He knew that, too. But it was probably better that way. He didn't want to know what the people around him were thinking all the time. Although it might be helpful with MJ.

"_Shuri's mind is the interesting one,"_ Alec told him, absently, having no trouble following Peter's train of thought.

"Yeah?"

"_Definitely."_

He didn't explain the statement, though, and Peter was distracted by his arrival into the garage. Tony was leaning against the Pontiac, which still gleamed in the light of the garage. The damages were on the other side, and Peter ran his braced hand against the smooth metal, feeling guilty for almost destroying the only real representation that he had from both his father _and_ his grandfather.

Tony had been watching him walk up, and he noticed the change in his son's expression when he saw the car.

"Don't worry, Peter," he told him, also looking him over for any indication that he wasn't feeling good. He looked fine, though. Not even too tired. He must have had a good nap. "We'll start rebuilding it as soon as your hand is better."

Letting him know that he was definitely going to be in on the repair process. Which Peter appreciated.

"Thank you." He shook his head. "I still can't believe I was so stupid."

Which made Tony smile, slightly.

"Someday – when you have an entire afternoon – I'll tell you some of the stupid things that I did when I was your age."

Peter smiled at that, but he didn't have a chance to reply. The garage door, sensing the arrival of Pepper's sedan, opened, revealing a bright, sunny, afternoon, and the car pulling up. Pepper smiled when she saw the two waiting, and Shuri waved at them from the passenger seat, smiling as well. The chase car – always with Pepper when she was driving herself home (and especially with Shuri in the vehicle with her) veered off and headed around to the other side of the compound, while Pepper parked neatly next to Peter's car.

The boy went around to the passenger side, and Tony opened his wife's door.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Stark," he murmured, lovingly, leaning in to take her bag and steal a kiss. "How was the drive?"

"It was beautiful. I love this time of year." She watched as Peter greeted Shuri, who handed him a small gift bag, and then turned back to Tony. "How was your day?"

"Uneventful. Just the way I like it." He winked as he closed her door behind her, and turned to Peter. "Deena is expecting you in the lounge in ten minutes," he told their son. "Don't be late."

Peter didn't even roll his eyes. He just nodded, ignoring Shuri's amusement.

"I won't." Pepper and Tony left, and he looked at the little giftbag Shuri had handed him. "What's this?"

"Your surprise that you requested."

"That's just a figure of speech," he told her, smiling. "You didn't _really_ have to bring me anything." She reached to take it back, and he moved his hand before she could. "Which doesn't mean that I don't _want_ it," he added.

Shuri laughed.

"I will miss you, Peter."

They turned to head for the exit, and rather than open his gift bag, he caught her hand with his undamaged one.

"I'll miss you, too. We've probably kept you longer than T'Challa or your mother really expected, though."

"Much longer," she agreed. "I do not mind, though – and neither do they. When you are feeling better, you must come for a visit to allow them to reassure themselves that you are uninjured."

"I will. Thank you."

She squeezed his hand, lightly, and he asked her what she'd done at the tower, which was more than enough conversation to see them to the lounge, where they parted. She went to sit with Peter Quill – who the princess found entertaining (although she was fairly certain her brother wouldn't approve of her hanging out with a space pirate) – and a few others, while Peter went to the bar, where the bartended was waiting, an apron in her hand and a smirk of amusement on her expression that she wasn't even bothering to try and hide.

Peter set his giftbag behind the bar and waited to be told what he was going to be doing that evening


	118. Chapter 118

"Hello. My name is Peter and I am your server this evening. The choices are spaghetti with – or without – meatballs, fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy or baked fish. All meals come with steamed ghost broccoli."

Tony smirked as he settled into his chair, with Pepper beside him. Shuri had come over to the table when the two had arrived in the lounge, and she, too, smiled slightly at their waiter, who was holding a pad of paper in his injured hand and a pen in the left.

"What is ghost broccoli?" Shuri asked, curiously.

"Don't listen to him," Clint told her, shaking his head, amused. "It's cauliflower. My son saw something online and started calling it that, and Peter liked it and now he calls it that, too."

Shuri shook her head, as well.

"I will have the fish."

"Spaghetti," Pepper told him. "With meatballs."

"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked, politely.

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Spaghetti, of course."

"Fish for me," Clint ordered.

"He's a _server_?" Steve asked, walking over to the table with Carol beside him. The two were dressed nicely; slacks and a button down for him and a formfitting black dress for her. Nothing incredibly fancy, just enough to let on that they weren't staying in the lounge to have dinner. "I assumed that he'd be washing dishes, or something."

Peter had assumed that, as well.

"We can't get the brace wet," Tony explained. "And we don't dare let him try anything without having it on, still. Time enough for dishes when he's healed up a bit more."

"You two look nice," a new voice said, as Nick Fury walked over and seated himself beside Shuri. "Let me guess; gun show?"

Rogers smiled, but it was Danvers who replied.

"He's taking me into the city for dinner."

"And dancing?" Clint asked.

"If I can convince him."

"Does anyone need anything before we go?"

"Nope. Have fun you kids," Tony said, his eyes amused. "Be home by curfew."

"We will, dad," Carol replied, also amused, but clearly in a good mood.

They left, and all of them noticed that Steve had reached for her hand on their way out of the lounge.

"_Someone needs a little cheering up,"_ Alec said into Peter's mind.

He didn't say who, but Peter didn't need the nudge, really. He'd seen Shuri's expression, and knew that she had a bit (maybe more than a bit) of a crush on Steve. While she knew she didn't have a chance with him, of course, it was probably still no fun to see him going out on a date with someone who was far more suitable for him – even than a Wakandan princess.

Peter looked at Nick.

"Dinner, sir?"

"No, Parker. I already ate. I'm just here to amuse myself watching you. Bring me a cup of coffee, will you, please?"

"Of course." The boy walked over to stand behind Shuri, and leaned over until his lips were right up to his friend's ear. "Would my sweet care for a cup of tea?" he offered.

Shuri smiled.

"That would be nice, thank you. Do you need help?"

"He doesn't," Tony assured her, pleased to see the smile. He hadn't missed her expression, either – even though she was very careful to try and hide it. "He's being punished, remember?"

Peter rolled his eyes and walked away, heading to the bar with his pad of paper and Nick looked at Shuri, then at Tony.

"When is Shuri going home?"

"Tomorrow evening," Stark replied. He smiled at the girl. "Although I'm inclined to ask T'Challa if I can clone her and sent back the copy so I can keep the original. She certainly lights up the place."

"Raises the IQ by a lot, too," Nick agreed, hiding his amusement at the almost imperceptible flush the praise was causing in the girl's dark skin. "We certainly owe you big time for your help."

"It was my pleasure," she assured him. All of them. "Thanos would not have stopped at America, after all."

"Still owe you," Tony told her, agreeing with Nick, completely. "How do we repay you?"

"My people and yours are allies," she pointed out. "You cannot repay me – or the others – for coming to your assistance. That is not how it works."

"You saved Peter's life," Tony reminded her.

"And he saved mine. Both in Syracuse and when he stopped Thanos from winning. We are most definitely even."

Tony looked like he wanted to argue, but a crashing noise from by the bar drew everyone's attention. Pepper shook her head as they watched Peter crouch down and start picking up the tray and the hot drinks that had been on it.

"Maybe server isn't exactly the right idea…?" she said, softly, making sure the boy couldn't hear her. "If he can't carry drinks, you know we're going to end up wearing our _meals_, right?"

"He'll figure it out," Stark told her, confidently. "I have faith in him."

OOOOOO

"He does not get to have dinner?" Shuri asked, looking at Tony before turning to watch Peter take dinner orders from the table nearest the entrance.

The guardians were all there, along with Sirah, who looked uncertain at the idea of having Peter bring her a drink.

"He'll eat, later," the billionaire said. He didn't look too worried. Peter had managed to bring all of them coffee or tea and hadn't spilled any of it on the third attempt. "He's fine."

"It isn't a punishment if they coddle him," Nick pointed out. "Two hours won't kill him."

It was clear, though, that Tony was keeping an eye on his son. When Peter had brought them the tray with their drinks – carrying it with his left hand instead of the injured one – Tony had watched as Peter set the tray down on the table beside theirs before he started handing out the drinks, flirting a little with Shuri, who had enjoyed the attention. Peter's eyes didn't show any sign of pain, or frustration – or even annoyance, so the hand was unwieldy just then, but probably not hurting too much.

By the time the drinks for the guardians were ready and delivered, their meals were also ready, and Deena suggested to Peter that he not try to carry them all at once. Something he agreed with, immediately.

"Ladies first," he said, as he walked over with a larger tray, once more setting it on the table beside theirs. "Mom…" he set a plate in front of Pepper with a flourish that was only slightly wobbly since he was using his off hand. A kiss to the cheek. "Enjoy."

"Thank you, son."

He nodded, and set Shuri's meal in front of her.

"My Princess." Another kiss to the cheek – and Shuri smiled at the way Tony rolled his eyes at the treatment – or the endearment. "It pales in comparison to your beauty, but it's the best we have to offer you."

Clint snorted, clearly amused.

"Don't forget bread rolls, Peter Pony," the archer said.

"I won't."

Before he could even pick up the tray to go get the other plates for Clint and Tony, Natasha and Stephen both entered the room – and Peter suddenly found himself under the excited assault of the Cloak of Levitation. And then, unexpected, even while he was trying to free himself of the heavy fabric, Natasha walked over and caught him up in a hug, being very careful of his hand, but holding him tightly for a long moment before releasing him.

And then kissing him soundly before she let him go, completely.

"What was that for?" Peter asked, confused, but smiling.

Both at the kiss and because she looked incredibly happy.

"I can't hug my favorite guy?" she asked, brushing her hand against his cheek, and using her thumb to wipe her lipstick from the corner of his mouth where she'd smeared him.

"I thought _you_ were her favorite guy?" Clint asked Strange, who was pulling out a chair for Natasha.

"I'm her _boyfriend_," The magician replied. "It isn't the same."

He looked pretty cheerful, too, though.

"What's going on?" Nick asked, looking at the two almost suspiciously.

"We'll tell you later," Romanoff replied. "Maybe."

"But…"

He was interrupted when Peter moved over to stand by them.

"My name is _Peter_," the boy said, formally, reaching into the apron pocket for his paper and pen. "And I will be your server, tonight."


	119. Chapter 119

_A/N: Nope, to answer the question many of you asked (in reviews and PMs) Natasha isn't pregnant. I toyed with that, but decided that it wouldn't be fair to have her get pregnant without knowing that it was possible. I want her (and Stephen, of course) to be allowed to choose since it's a big decision. But they CAN now._

OOOOOOO

By the time Peter's two hours were up for the evening, he was ready to stop being the server. Not that he minded helping; because he didn't. But his hand was aching just a little from trying to carry the tray with both hands instead of his left – for more stability since he was also tired of picking up dropped dishes. Deena took the apron from him with a smile, and handed him a plate with his own dinner on it that she'd been keeping warm for him. He took it with a smile of thanks and carefully carried it to the table where Stephen, Natasha, Pepper and Tony were now playing cards, while Shuri cuddled Nutmeg, who was asleep.

"How's the hand?" Tony asked, looking up from his cards at the boy's approach.

He'd been watching Peter all evening, of course, and it didn't seem to be too bad. The dropped trays weren't a surprise, and he'd snorted in amusement when Deena had brought over the pieces of paper that his son had been writing everyone's orders down on. Peter was tight-handed, and it showed. The scribbles were barely legible, and Strange had pointed out that it looked more like hieroglyphs than dinner orders.

"Aches a bit," Peter admitted, proving it by trying to eat left-handed despite having his fingers available to hold the fork. "I'm okay, though," he added before any of them could look worried.

He was going to worry them enough that evening, he knew. Alec had spent the past two hours talking to him about the infinity stones and reminding him that they needed to be separated as soon as possible. Now that his hand was out of the bandages, they could at least take care of getting Vision back on his feet, which would definitely cheer up Wanda – who was spending a lot of her time at the compound sitting next to the construct in the small workroom.

Peter was anxious to get that taken care of, since his connection with the mind stone was making it harder and harder for him to keep her worry out of his head. Only Alec's presence was stopping her from completely overwhelming him – even though it wasn't on purpose on her part.

"Why don't you take it easy the rest of the night?" Pepper suggested. "It's Shuri's last night here, after all. Keep her company and go do something together."

"Four inches apart, though," Tony added, only somewhat seriously.

He winked at the girl, who rolled her eyes, but smiled. Peter, however, shook his head. Since the opening was there, he might as well take it. But he had to get away from Shuri, as politely as he could, since she didn't know everything that they were discussing and Peter didn't want to spend her last night at the compound explaining things that were so unbelievable.

Peter looked at Tony.

"Can I borrow you for a second? To help me carry my stuff back to the bar?"

To his credit, Tony didn't n hesitate. He stood up and reached for the now empty plate, while Peter picked up his water glass and the one that had held the cola he'd been sipping on all evening.

"I'll get that, Peter," Stephen told him, also picking up on the cues.

Of course, there was no doubt the others had, as well, but they were too polite to say anything as Tony, Stephen and Peter all walked to the bar.

"What's up?" Tony asked, leaning over to put the plate and silverware in the appropriate places to be washed, later. "I was only kidding about the four inches. You know that, right?"

Peter nodded, but he didn't smile.

"Actually, I was thinking that we could get the Mind stone back where it belongs," he told both of them, speaking softly enough that only they could hear him. "My hand's well enough to touch the polymorph and Alec seems to think that the sooner we start separating the stones the better off we'll be – and _everyone else_, too."

Tony and Stephen both looked worried – like Peter had known they would.

"Are you certain that's _wise_?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm okay. I'm not sore and tired – I napped this afternoon – and Wanda's really upset, and I can _feel_ it."

Tony looked even more uncertain than Stephen.

"Alec's on board with this?"

"Yes." He looked at Strange. "We can get yours back to you, too, this way – and that's two less for us to worry about, later."

"You're sending the reality stone with the guardians when they go?" Stephen verified.

"Yes. And the space stone needs to go to Asgard, where I took it from."

"You are _not_ going to Asgard, tonight," Tony told him, in no uncertain terms. "You're grounded, remember?"

"No. I know."

He was grounded from his phone, though, and not traveling – as his trip in the Quinjet had proven. But he wasn't ready for a trip of that distance, really, and he wasn't ready to deal with the magical energy of _Asgard_, either.

"How difficult will it be to put the stone back in Vision's head?" Stephen asked his friend.

Stark shrugged.

"Should be pretty easy. A couple of minutes, at the most." He looked at Peter. "My question is; how do we stop the stones from overwhelming you and hurting you while you pick the right one?"

"I think the polymorph will do that," Peter replied. "If I have it just shift its elements enough that I get just one stone at a time, Alec can buffer me."

OOOOOO

"What do you think they are discussing?" Shuri asked, watching as Peter started talking to the two men in low tones that made it impossible to hear what they were saying.

It must have been more serious than where to put the dirty dishes, however, because Stephen and Tony both looked concerned – while Peter looked like he was trying to be reassuring and was gesturing to his hand.

"Maybe making sure what he meant by four inches apart," Natasha said, smirking, even though those who knew her best would be able to see that she, too, was wondering what the discussion was. "Boys his age are clueless about pretty much everything that is going on around them."

Shuri sighed.

"Yes."

Both women turned from the silent (to them) conversation and looked at the princess.

"Problem?" Pepper asked.

She'd spent the day with Shuri – more or less – and the girl had seemed fine. But no longer.

"How…" Shuri hesitated, and then shook her head as the conversation at the bar broke up and the three walked back to the table. "No. No problem. Nothing that you can help with, that is. Thank you."

"Everything alright?" Natasha asked.

Stephen nodded.

"It seems to be."

"We're going to borrow Peter for about half an hour," Tony told her. He looked at Shuri with a smile that was teasing. "After that he's yours for the rest of the night."

"Secret Avenger things?" Shuri asked, smiling at the mystery.

She was curious, of course, but she was also princess enough to know that whatever was going on was something that they obviously didn't want to share with her, and she wouldn't stick her royal nose where it wasn't wanted. Her brother had royal secrets that had to be kept private (although she usually knew what they were) and security was always a secret that needed to be kept private, also. Shuri understood that.

Besides, it was always possible that Peter would tell her, later.

Peter smiled, too, but it was Tony who answered.

"Exactly."


	120. Chapter 120

Wanda was waiting for them when they entered the workroom. Not surprising any of them – considering her ability to see into the minds of those around her – she didn't need to be told what was happening. Vision's inert form was laid out on a specialized table, with curved clear plastic sides and a large assortment of computer links and displays on three sides, leaving the other side clear for Wanda, or whomever might need access to him.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Maximoff asked as Peter walked in with Tony, Stephen, Natasha and Pepper around him, almost protectively.

"I'm okay," Peter assured her.

They'd stopped to get the polymorph, as well as the housing for Peter's suit, from a safe in Tony and Pepper's quarters. That would give him that much more protection, and Pepper had pointed out that there was no sense in not using everything that they could to protect him.

"He should be," Stephen agreed. _He_ looked a little uncertain, though, and was there for more than just to have Peter hand the Time stone back to him. "If it goes as planned, he's not actually going to be doing more than touching one at a time – and only two at the most will be present at any one time."

"Yeah."

Tony winked at Pepper – who also looked worried – and then stepped over to stand by the head of the table, near Vision's head. He rummaged through a drawer built into the table, and pulled out what he'd need, while Peter lifted his shirt and affixed the housing unit to his suit on his hip where it was normally kept. Stephen stepped forward and took the brace off the boy's hand and Peter clenched the hand, carefully, into a fist a few times.

It hurt, but it wasn't too bad, really.

"You alright?" Tony asked, watching.

The boy nodded, giving him and Pepper both a reassuring smile. He looked at Wanda.

"Ready?"

She nodded, as well, her young face hopeful.

"Yes."

She wasn't actually doing anything, but he wanted to make sure she was part of the process – or at least felt as if she was.

Peter turned back to Tony and held out his hand and Tony gave him the polymorph.

"Don't do anything _stupid_," his father warned him, making the boy smile.

"Once a week is my limit," he assured him.

He focused on the polymorph, and then activated his suit for the protection it would offer. A moment later, the outer area of the black metallic ball shifted, and a single stone came free of the sphere.

"That one's for me," Stephen murmured, stepping up and wiggling his fingers, almost idly.

The green stone rose through the air and floated to the magician, flaring slightly, as if to greet him before it settled into the locket that housed it. A moment later, it closed, and everyone in the room breathed, again.

Peter smiled, relieved, despite his apparent calm.

"_Ready_?" he asked Alec.

The Mind stone was the one that was most focused on Peter and the one that reacted strongest to him. At least, it _usually_ did. The power stone was aware of Peter, now, too, and had connected with him in a way that it hadn't ever connected to someone, before. He knew (and Alec confirmed) that the power stone was going to be the one that was going to pose them the biggest problem – but not yet. For now, he and the ancient sorcerer were more worried about how the Mind stone was going to react when Peter released it. As such, Alec was making sure that Peter's mind was buffered against whatever it might do.

The boy concentrated, again, and a moment later the Mind stone made its appearance. This stone also flared, and they all winced as they were subjected to the thing's odd greeting to Peter and Wanda. Tony stepped up, now, with a pair of forceps in his hand and he plucked the stone from Peter's palm, carefully, before moving over to the spot by the table, once more.

Peter handed the polymorph back to Pepper, and by the time Stephen had the brace back on the boy's hand, Tony was already stepping back with a soft noise of accomplishment. A moment later Vision sat up, and looked around.

"That was interesting," he said to the room in general.

Wanda made a happy sound and hugged Peter, first. Then she turned to the table and the others all looked at each other.

"Why don't we let you guys have some time alone?" Tony said, more to the rest than to Vision and Wanda. "Give you a chance to get reacquainted."

"Yes," Stephen said. "I'm going to take the Time stone back to the sanctum." He looked at Natasha. "Coming?"

She smiled and nodded, looking at Peter.

"You're alright?"

"Yes."

The sorcerer and assassin vanished the next instant, and Tony took the polymorph from Pepper, and put his arm around her, also looking at Peter.

"We're going to call it a night," he told their son. They needed to put the polymorph back where it belonged, too. Until they were ready to release the other stones. "Don't stay up too late, alright?"

"I won't."

He _was_ going to spend some time with Shuri, though.

OOOOOO

"Are you finished?" Shuri asked when Peter walked back into the lounge.

She'd told him that she would wait for him, there, and she had kept Nutmeg with her, assuming correctly that they wouldn't want the kitten underfoot when they went off to do whatever it was they were doing.

He nodded, smiling to see her cuddling with the kitten.

"Sorry about that. We were getting the Mind stone out of the polymorph so it can get back in Vision's head, instead."

"That is not much of a secret," the princess chided, amused.

"I know. Sorry. We're not too mysterious, are we? Not like the entire nation of Wakanda."

She smirked.

"We have had much more practice. What would you like to do this evening?"

Peter was suddenly restless.

"We could go for a walk, if you're interested?"

"I would like that."

The compound was secure enough that Peter knew there wouldn't be any issue if they walked outside, but he didn't want Tony to worry if Friday told him they were outside. They fed Peter's kitten from the supply of canned food that was stored behind the bar (there were other cans in Peter's rooms) and left Nutmeg eating while they left and headed down the corridor, automatically gravitating toward the gym.

He knew Tony would also prefer that they not go to either of their rooms – although they hadn't been told they were off-limits, really.

"I have not seen MJ," Shuri said, idly, as they turned the corner. "Or spoken with her. How is she doing?"

Peter shrugged.

"She's mad at me."

"Why? Or is it private?"

"Because she says I'm reckless and do stupid things to get myself hurt. And I keep secrets from her."

"Which you _must_, of course."

"Yeah. She doesn't like it, though."

"It must be difficult for you," she commiserated. "Keeping the balance of what you can tell your friends and what you cannot."

She knew she was in on a lot more of what was happening than others were allowed. Of course, she _had_ to be.

"Yeah. Especially with what's been going on, lately. I can't tell anyone about the light, or how I hurt my hand – and when MJ asked me what I did to hurt it she didn't like that I didn't tell her, immediately, and told me not to lie to her. Which I wasn't _going_ to," he added. "I just wasn't going to be _specific_."

"Does _Ned_ know?" she asked, as they walked into the gym.

"No. I can't tell him, either." He sighed, and walked over to lean against the elaborate pen that was Ironpig's enclosure. The piglet wasn't there, though, which meant that Tony had probably stopped there on his way to his quarters and taken the piglet back to their quarters with them. "_Ned_ isn't mad, though. Not like MJ."

"I am sorry."

"Me, too. She isn't right for me, I guess," he said, shrugging helplessly. "She doesn't like me being Spiderman – and I can't stop doing that – and she doesn't like me getting hurt."

"Which you have no control over, of course."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm bad luck, though, everyone knows that – or they're figuring it out. MJ is just later to the party and is only just learning it."

There was that self-pity thing again, he realized, trying to give himself a mental shake to clear it. His friend was going home the next day and he was unloading his troubles onto her instead of doing something she could enjoy a lot more. It only made him feel worse, though. Not only was he a lousy boyfriend – presuming that he and MJ were actually an official item – but he was also a lousy friend.

She didn't seem annoyed, though, and Shuri reached out and took his uninjured hand in her own.

"You are not bad luck, Peter Parker. You are amazing. It is difficult to be all the people that you must be; the son of a superhero, an up and coming superhero in your own right, a high school student, as well as a friend to those around you. Yet you handle it. Not easily, all the time, of course, but you do. I am always impressed."

"I wrecked the car because I was upset," Peter admitted to her. "I never should have tried driving it when I was angry, but I did. I could have killed myself by how badly I'm handling things."

"It is an unusual situation," she reminded him, squeezing his hand. She kept hold of it, and led him over to the bleachers, sitting down and pulling him down to sit beside her. "You are looking at it the wrong way, though."

"What do you mean?"

"You cannot possibly deal with everything if you pile it all together, Peter my love. It is too much for anyone – even someone as gifted as yourself – to handle. Separate them. Make them less daunting. The car was damaged, but it can be fixed, right?"

"Yeah. Tony built the Ironman suit in a cave, as I was reminded. If we can't find replacement parts for it, he can help me manufacture them."

"And you have already been told that your hand is going to heal without issue?"

"It hurts a little, but it's already much better – thanks to you. I'll have some physical therapy, Stephen says, but it'll be fine."

"And the stones are already being returned to where they belong?"

"We took care of two of them, so far," he confirmed. "Vision was the important one. Wanda was so worried about him."

"So everything is beginning to straighten out, then." She leaned against him, lightly. "T'Challa tries to handle everything in a lump – like you were – and mother has to constantly remind him that problems are less insurmountable when you divide them into more manageable parts. If it is good advice for a king, then it is good enough for you, right?"

"Yeah." He leaned sideways into her, and sighed. "And _MJ_? Any advice on what to do about her?"

"I am not the one to ask," Shuri admitted. "I cannot be impartial enough to do more than tell you that if she is trying to make you feel bad – or guilty – for doing that which you must, then she is not being a friend."

"You can't be impartial because you're my friend?"

He wondered if he should ask Ned what he thought. Peter knew Ned was pretty insightful – and he knew more about girls than Peter did. Or, at least, he seemed more worldly.

"Because I am enamored of you Peter, and a terrible liar. Which means I cannot tell you that I think she is right for you just to make you feel better."

Peter sighed, again.

"I'm going to miss you."

She smiled.

"I will miss being here. I have a suggestion for you, however, which might help with one of the other problems that your Avengers are facing…"

"Oh?"

"You do not want to allow Sirah to go back to the man who owns her?"

"No. Steve, especially, doesn't like the idea of sending her back to him. But she's an _alien_, even if she doesn't look like one, so much. She has an implanted translator, so she can speak to anyone, but she doesn't know enough about our world, so she can't just be turned loose to try and fend for herself."

"She could come back to Wakanda with me. I spoke with mother. If she wanted, she could become one of the servants in the palace – they are not slaves, and make a good deal of money to take care of us. I, personally, would suggest that she be offered a position at the orphanage that I took you to when you were visiting. She was very good with Clint's children, and might find a place where she could thrive."

Peter felt a surge of relief. Not only because it would find the alien girl a safe place to be – and Wakanda was safer than anywhere, really – but it kept her away from the compound, as well. Peter had enough girl troubles. The last thing he wanted was Sirah hanging around touching him and giving him the moony eyes that she'd given him, before.

"I'll bring it up with Tony, tomorrow," he said, smiling. "I think it's a great idea." He hugged her. "You're a genius. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"A time or two. Yes."


	121. Chapter 121

A shift on the mattress was the only warning that she had, right before a very soft – and familiar – voice whispered in her ear.

"Hey, birthday girl… are you going to sleep the day away?"

Pepper opened her eyes and found four sets of eyes watching her, intently. Tony's brown eyes were closest, as he was the one who was leaned over her, pulling back enough to kiss her cheek and then sitting back on the edge of the bed. Ironpig was watching her, too, from his position at the foot of the bed where someone had deposited him. The piglet was wearing a birthday hat and a bowtie around his neck – as well as yet another sweater (this one green). Beside him was a somewhat disgruntled looking Nutmeg, who was also wearing a birthday hat. _His_ was somewhat askew and had teeth marks in it. He, too, had a bowtie around his neck, silently attesting to the special occasion – although she was sure he wasn't very happy about it.

She smiled at the sight, and sat up, a little when Peter came into view, as well.

He was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt – which was smeared with more than one unknown substance – and holding a tray carefully in his hands. Before she could worry about him using the injured hand he settled the tray across her lap.

"Happy birthday."

"What's this?" she asked, looking down at the offering.

There was a plate with a tortilla wrapped around something; she couldn't see what, a few slightly singed sausages, toast – _Battlestar Galactica_ toast, she realized, amused – and a glass of orange juice. There was also a single red rose in a crystal vase.

"We made you breakfast in bed," Peter told her, looking pleased at her surprise.

"That's nice," she said – and Tony smirked, because she was able to actually sound like she meant it. She looked at him. "You helped?"

Which didn't mean much, she knew; the two of them were famous for having burned down a cooking school, after all.

"I _did_," he confirmed. "Manny wasn't at all pleased when we shooed him away from the kitchen in the lounge this morning so that we could say we did it, ourselves, but it turned out alright – for a couple of amateurs."

"What's in the burrito?"

"Eggs and cheese," Peter told her. "They were going to be sunny side up, but they stuck to the pan."

"_Five_ times in a row," Tony added. "So, we decided _scrambled_ would be fine."

"And the tortilla…?"

"Oh." He shrugged. "Peter said everything's better in a tortilla. So we added shredded cheese, and some ham."

"That's it?" she asked, looking down at it, suspiciously.

Which made him smile, because they both remembered Peter's attempt at breakfast in bed for them when they were closing out their honeymoon in Wakanda.

"That's it," he assured her. "It's good."

"We had some," Peter added. "Tony made the juice."

"From a _bottle_?"

"From _oranges_," the billionaire said, amused. "I murdered them, skinned them and then crushed their little bodies and ground them until their juices flowed into your glass."

"That's gross, Tony."

Stark chuckled.

"Eat."

She frowned, looking at the display on their TV.

"It's after eight o'clock. You let me sleep in?"

"It's your birthday."

As if that explained everything.

"I have to get to the tower."

"I called in for you," he told her, as Peter sat down on the edge of the bed, too – only on the other side. "I told them that you couldn't come in today because the revolution of the earth around the sun had deemed that you are a year older, now, and as such you are obligated to spend the day with your husband and son."

"I have a conference call with France. They aren't going to care that it's my birthday."

"It's a conference call," he pointed out. "You can do that from here. Spend the day with us, Pep."

"Please?" Peter asked, allowing his eyes to get wider, and younger, and absolutely adorable.

She shook her head; he had to know what he was doing, this time. The amusement in his expression plainly said that he did, anyway.

"Fine. As long as we're not flying away, somewhere exotic."

"Nope. Only the compound," her husband assured her, reaching for Nutmeg, who had apparently smelled the meat on her plate and was suddenly very interested in her tray. The kitten mewed in protest when he was denied a chance to steal a sausage, and Peter took him from Tony's grasp. "We have a few things planned."

"Like what?" she asked, looking a little suspicious.

"Just birthday related things," he told her, innocently. "When is your call?"

"Just before noon."

"We can work around that." He leaned down, reaching for something on the floor, and came up with a paper hat. Pepper recognized it, immediately, as a crown from Burger King. Which was the only chance she had to look at it, because he put it on her head. "You are now, officially, Queen for the Day," he announced, formally, bowing with a flourish of his hand. "Your _Majesty_."

Pepper smiled.

Leave it to him to make a piece of paper that pretty much every kid in America had access to into something so romantic.

Peter bowed, too, and the hat Nutmeg was wearing fell off.

"Speaking of royalty," Peppers said, ignoring her tray for the moment. "How was your night? Did you spend some time with Shuri?"

He nodded.

"A lot. It was good."

"What did you do?"

"Had wild, passionate loving under the stars out in the woods."

Tony snorted, and Pepper rolled her eyes. He was so serious most of the time that it was almost a shock when he said something like that, out of the blue. He knew it, too, because his expressive eyes were lit up with happiness at her reaction.

"I'm not even going to _respond_ to that," she replied.

Peter shook his head, still smirking.

"We sat in the gym and talked."

"She has a pretty good suggestion for our problem with Sirah," Tony added. "We were talking about it while I was ignoring the screams of the oranges."

"Oh?"

"Shuri offered to invite Sirah back to Wakanda with her," Peter explained. "She could get a job in that orphanage, or as a servant in the palace. They're paid pretty good."

"Pretty _well_," Pepper corrected, absently. She looked at Tony. "What do you think?"

"I think Steve would approve of her being someplace other than back with the Collector guy, and Wakanda is a good place for a displaced alien girl. It's well protected, isolationist, and honestly it wouldn't matter if they know she's an alien – because they're a bit more aware of such things than the rest of the world, in general. It's a good fit."

"As long as she's interested," Pepper added. "_We_ don't own her, either."

"I'll ask her what she thinks of the idea," Peter told her. "She likes kids, though, and she's always asking if we have something she can do."

"Might be a good fit," Tony said, shrugging. Then he gestured to her breakfast. "Your food's getting cold," he pointed out. "I can assure you it isn't going to taste better the longer it sits."

"Right."

Greatly daring, as befitted the wife of Ironman and the mother of Spiderman, Pepper reached for her fork.


	122. Chapter 122

"That wasn't too bad, now, was it?"

"I'm not feeling any food poisoning…"

Tony smirked.

"We could ask Peter what that felt like, just to be sure…"

Pepper had finished eating her breakfast in bed, and her guys had watched, expectantly, meaning that she didn't have a way to dump the food out like she and Tony had the morning that Peter had fed them what was almost certainly the most disgusting meal she'd ever been subjected to. Luckily, the birthday breakfast wasn't terrible. The eggs were bland, but the shredded cheese was salty enough to flavor them, and the sausages were burnt, but not too bad.

Nutmeg did manage to eventually steal one of them from the plate even though they were all watching, but aside from that, it was her meal to complete. When it was finished, she and Tony sent Peter off to change out of his soiled clothes and told him that they would meet him in the lounge. The boy left, taking Pepper's tray with him – and his kitten, which he put on the tray since he didn't have any hands free.

"I think I'm fine."

"I think you're great," Tony assured her, hugging her, closely, and pressing a kiss against her cheek.

"What do you two have planned for today?" she asked, not allowing him to distract her. "Nothing too extravagant, I hope."

"_Extravagant_?" Tony echoed, affecting a shocked expression. "Me?"

"Tony…"

"Nothing too crazy," he replied, letting her go and leaning back a little. He needed to go change, too, but there was no real hurry. "A barbeque, later, and a few little surprises here and there throughout the day."

The barbeque was fine, but Pepper wasn't so sure what he meant by little surprises. She knew he wasn't going to tell her, though, and decided that she'd allow it. Whatever it ended up being. Not only because it made Tony smile, but because Peter was certainly going to have a fun day because of it. Besides, it would probably be fun.

"Should I dress casual?"

"Not a bad idea."

"I'm going to go shower," she told him, taking off the party hat that he'd put on her head, earlier. "Hold my crown."

"_Or_… I could join you…?"

She smiled, pretending to think about it – which wasn't the case at all.

"Ironpig stays out here."

"Yes, dear."

OOOOOOO

"Well?"

Peter grinned.

"She was surprised."

Clint nodded, but that hadn't been the question that he was asking.

"Did she keel over?"

Steve was at the same table, and he chuckled outright, while Romanoff smirked. Peter wasn't offended – and they knew it.

"Of course not. She loved it."

"_Loved_?" Natasha echoed.

"Well… she loves _us_," Peter conceded. "So that's a start."

"We're set for later?" Steve asked Natasha.

"Not set, exactly, but getting there. Stephen and I will go to Asgard and talk to Thor."

Peter smiled, excitedly – although he tried to hide it, a little. He looked at Shuri, who was already awake and dressed, hanging out in the lounge because decorating for a birthday wasn't something that she'd done before, and she was helping Deena and the others make sure the place was ready.

"T'Challa has everything prepared – we'll just need a portal at the right time."

Romanoff nodded, again.

"Wong will handle it, if we're not back – but we _should_ be."

"Thor isn't going to give you a hard time?" Peter asked, wishing that he could go, but well aware that asking to go to Asgard was a lot different than asking if he could fly on a training mission on the jet. He was, technically, in trouble after all. Besides, he knew that none of them thought he was healthy enough to handle the trip – much less the magical energies of the place.

"Doubtful. Not if it's for Pepper."

Not to mention that Peter had saved the universe and the god of Thunder knew it – and had almost certainly told the rest of his people. That would count for something when they came to the Asgardians to cash in a favor.

"This is going to be great."

The adults nodded their agreement.

"If Pepper doesn't kill Tony by the end of the day," Clint added. "This is _not_ going to be low-key…"

"Doubtful," Steve said, slapping Peter on the back, reassuringly. "He's faster than her."

"She has the Rescue suit, now…" Natasha reminded him.

"Good point."

Peter just shook his head, gathering up Nutmeg before he could jump off the tray and passing him over to Shuri with a smile.

"I need to go change," he told them, looking down at his clothing. He and Tony had made a fair mess of themselves cooking, and rather than allow Pepper's breakfast to get cold while Peter changed, they'd just wiped themselves as clean as they could for the moment and had gone ahead with starting Pepper's big day. "I'll be back in a bit."

"You're okay, though?" Natasha asked him, her expression more serious, now.

Stephen was almost certainly going to ask her, after all, before he went looking for the boy. She might as well have an answer.

"Yeah."

"How's the hand?"

"Aches a little."

"And your _head_?"

Peter rolled his eyes, good naturedly. If she _didn't_ ask, he'd be worried.

"It aches a little, too," he said, honestly. "But I'm good. Really."

He left, and Shuri smiled at Romanoff.

"What would you have done had he said he hurt?"

"She'd have touched his forehead and frowned," Clint answered, before the assassin could. She scowled and he pointed at her with a smirk. "Just like _that_."

"Don't listen to _him_, Shuri," Natasha advised. "He acts like it's crazy the way we double-check Peter to make sure he isn't overdoing things, but he's easily as bad with his kids as Tony and Pepper are with Peter."

"She's only saying that because it's true," Barton agreed with a shrug.

The girl smiled, shaking her head and then burying her face into Nutmeg's belly, making the kitten purr. She was going to miss hanging out with the Avengers when she returned home.

OOOOOOO

"I don't get it…"

"I am groot."

"You don't get it, either," Rocket said, frowning at the young tree that was sitting across from him. "You've never been here."

"I am groot."

"They did not."

"They did," Peter Quill confirmed, listening in on the conversation while working his way through a hearty breakfast – the kind that he definitely missed having in space. He was going to miss this place, that was for sure. "When I came in last night, Peter and Shuri were both decorating with a couple of the others – and Groot was with them, explaining the whole concept of birthday celebrations before I even had a need to do it, myself."

"So they celebrate not dying?" Drax asked, also eating a breakfast that was considerably more filling than what their normal fare on the Milano was.

"No. They celebrate the appearance they made on the planet," Mantis told them. "It is a celebration of life."

"They celebrate death, too," Gamora said. "They have funerals and wakes."

"I think they just enjoy a good party…"

"I am groot."

Sirah was sitting with them, as well, looking around the room as if awed by the changes the decorations made.

"It's very pretty."

"It's supposed to be," Peter told her.

"But temporary."

Rocket just shook his head.

"I still don't get it."

"There's going to be cake, later," Gamora told him. "As much as we want, and almost certainly in multiple flavors."

"And presents," Mantis added.

The racoon raised an eyebrow.

"I love birthdays."

OOOOOOOOO

It was almost an hour before Tony and Pepper made their appearance in the lounge. They went there, first, because it was habit to do so, really. It was where they normally enjoyed their morning meal with Peter – especially on weekends and days that Pepper wasn't working, and it was usually the first place that he'd come looking for them if he needed anything. It was also a good place for them (and Tony, especially) to find the others and see if there was anything that anyone needed from him, specifically, before the day began.

This morning was a little different, however. When Pepper walked into the lounge, once more wearing the ridiculous Burger King crown (Tony insisted) and thinking that a cup of coffee sounded like a great idea, she stopped at the entrance, looking around with an expression that was torn between chagrin and surprise – and there was a little bit of happiness, too, of course. The room had been decorated with a banner proclaiming that it was her birthday, and a lot of glitter, sparkles, balloons and bunting adorning every table and the bar.

"Happy birthday," Steve said, walked over to offer her his arm, formally – which made Tony roll his eyes, good-naturedly. "Will the Queen for the Day please allow her humble servant to escort her to her throne?"

"My _throne_…?"

"A queen needs a throne," Steve said, her arm going through his as he walked her over to their normal table in the corner, smoothly. "Right Shuri?"

"It is common knowledge," the princess agreed, amused.

The normal place that Pepper would sit was now dominated by a garishly decorated and gold-gilded chair with a high back, arm rests and false gems (maybe?) that glittered almost magically in the light of the room.

"This is a bit much, isn't it?" she said to Tony as Steve seated her, formally, and bowed before he sat next to Shuri and Carol – who was watching with amusement.

"Peter wanted a throne of swords and skulls," the billionaire told her, sitting in his normal spot – which was still a regular chair and nothing like the monstrosity that she was lording over the others from, now. "Like in Game of Thrones."

"I suggested one made of vibranium," Shuri said, smiling and enjoying the fact that she was part of the surprise. "But it would not have arrived in time."

Pepper shook her head, but before she could say anything, someone else was at her side. Neatly dressed, now, in jeans and a t-shirt, with a smile on his face and his brown eyes happy, Peter was wearing an apron and holding a pad of paper, awkwardly.

"Good morning, my Queen," he said, formally – although his bow wasn't graceful at all, Shuri noticed. "My name is Peter and I will be your server this morning. Can I offer you something to drink?"

"You're already doing your kitchen helper thing?" she asked, surprised.

"I want to get it out of the way," he told her. "Coffee?"

"Please."

"A donut?"

"No."

"Cinnamon roll?"

"Are they fresh?"

"Ned's mom sent some – just for today."

Tony rolled his eyes at that, too.

She nodded.

"That sounds nice, thank you."

The boy looked at the others, but they all had drinks in front of them, already – and Tony smiled when Peter left.

"Is Ned coming, today?" Pepper asked.

"No. He's coming this weekend – provided Peter is feeling better. He said to tell you happy birthday, and he sent you a birthday present along with his mom's rolls."

She smiled.

"He's such a sweetheart."

"You can tell him that this weekend. It'll be fun to see him get red."

"Peter's alright with him not being here?"

"It's not Peter's birthday, Pep. He's fine."

"He is," Shuri confirmed. "He said with all of the activities planned today, he did not want you to have the distraction of worrying about what he and Ned might be up to."

Pepper frowned.

"All of the activities…?" she echoed, looking at Tony, suspiciously. "I thought it was going to be low-key…"

Her husband gave her an innocent look, his eyes growing wide and guiless – although it wasn't even close to sincere.

"Whaaaat? Don't listen to her, Pep…" he said, looking around. "She's a foreigner, after all – and doesn't understand the variations of the word activities."

"Tony…"

"I think I'll go see if Peter needs help," he said, getting up and leaving the table.

Pepper shook her head.

"Can you believe this?" she asked Danvers, who had been watching with amusement.

"Oh. I'm beginning to learn that there's very little I shouldn't expect from that one."


	123. Chapter 123

Pepper was a little disappointed that Peter didn't join them while they had coffee. The boy was going from table to table, extremely conscientious about his duties – even though they were a punishment. Or maybe _because_ they were a punishment. He looked healthy enough, she decided, watching him chatting with the guardians at one of the tables a little bit apart from the one she was sitting at. His hand might be hurting, but he wasn't letting on, too much, if it was, and he wasn't limping or anything that she could see as he walked from table to table, bringing drinks, plates of food and anything else that someone might ask him for.

"He's fine," Tony told her, bringing her attention back to her company.

She blushed, slightly, chagrined at ignoring them in favor of watching the boy.

"I know. I just worry about him doing too much, too soon. Maybe we should hold off on the helper thing until he's healthier…"

"His hand does not hurt him that much," Shuri assured her, also looking over at Peter, but frowning slightly when she saw him talking and apparently teasing Sirah. "He told me this morning that it simply aches, somewhat."

"And Stephen is going to be here, later," Tony reminded her. "He can take a look at it if it starts to bother him. He suggested we start physical therapy by the end of the week, so we can do that, too."

"True."

"Relax, Pep," Tony said. "It's your birthday."

She rolled her eyes, looking around the room at the decorations and the throne that she was sitting on.

"I can't forget."

OOOOOOO

When Stephen arrived, Peter was forced to call an end to the server duty for the day. Not because he was tired or because he wanted to, but because the cloak arrived with him, and the ancient relic was quick to find him and wrap around his shoulders. He dropped the tray that he'd been carrying – luckily he'd already handed out the two cups of coffee and had handed out the plates of toast. The cloak crooned cheerfully into his mind – greeting Alec, silently at the same time – and Peter picked up his scattered items and took them back to the bar.

Strange smirked when he saw the throne Pepper was sitting on, but he walked over and gave her a formal bow before reaching for her hand and pressing a kiss against the back of it.

"Happy birthday."

She smiled.

"Thank you."

Peter joined them at the table, sitting himself next to Shuri, but finding himself immediately the focus of Stephen's attention.

"How's the hand?"

"It's fine."

"And you'd tell me if that was not the case?"

"Sure."

Tony rolled his eyes, exchanging a glance with Pepper, since they both knew Peter's tendencies to keep his discomforts to himself as much as he could to avoid worrying them. They'd both been watching him the last hour or so, however, to gauge how he was doing with his injured hand as he served the tables with drinks and late breakfasts – although there were few of those, now. He hadn't shown any indication that the injured hand was bothering him.

Well aware of their scrutiny, Strange looked at the two, and Tony shrugged his acceptance of what Peter was telling him.

"He doesn't seem to be favoring it, too much," he told his friend.

"Good." He winked at the boy, and the position he was in made it so only Shuri, Peter and Natasha could see it. "Enough server duties for the day, though. I don't want him overdoing it."

Peter didn't argue. He didn't mind being a server; it was new and fun, although he was sure it would get old after a while – otherwise it wouldn't be much of a punishment, now would it? There was a lot going on that day, and he didn't want to miss out.

Tony and Pepper didn't argue, either.

"You're reprieved for the day," Tony said.

Shuri giggled, and forced down her smile, looking innocent as Pepper and Tony looked her way.

"I spoke with my brother," she said, instead. "He will be ready when you send word."

"Word about what?" Pepper asked.

"If Peter is finished, I am going to steal him for a while," the princess said. "We are going to talk to Sirah."

"About a job in Wakanda?" Pepper asked.

"Yes."

"We were talking about it, earlier," Tony said, impressed at the way the girl had redirected Pepper's question so smoothly. He couldn't have done better, himself. "We thought it might sound less like an order and more of an invitation if it came from Peter and Shuri."

"Makes sense," Pepper approved.

"I will invite her to return to Wakanda with me when I go home this evening, and allow her to see both the palace and the orphanage so she may see what both are like. Then, if she is interested, she can choose which would appeal most to her."

"Room and board are included in both jobs," Peter said. "So she'll be good."

"And if she decides she's tired of doing whatever role she chooses?" Stephen asked. "Then what?"

Shuri shrugged.

"Then we find her something else. Wakanda is diverse, and we will educate her in the ways of the earth as she desires. She will have a bright future with my people. T'Challa and my mother approve."

Peter obviously approved, too.

Pepper waved the teens away with a gesture that was regal enough to befit the throne she was seated in.

"Go on, then. Have fun." She turned to Stephen and Natasha as Peter and Shuri left, Peter absently taking Shuri's hand with his uninjured one and heading for the bar with the cloak still along for the ride. "Cards?"

Romanoff shook her head.

"Not right now, sorry. We have to go check on some things."

"We can play cribbage," Tony told his wife. He, too, looked at Stephen and Natasha. "Barbeque starts at _one_."

"We'll be here in plenty of time," Strange assured him, also standing – and offering Natasha his hand. "Wong will be here by noon, if I'm not back by then."

"Perfect."

"Wong's coming?" Pepper asked, pleased – and a little surprised.

The magician was usually reluctant to accept invitations to the compound when he'd much rather be in his library, researching something.

"He is," Stephen confirmed, making a gesture toward the cloak. The ancient relic detached from Peter before the boy even reached the bar to turn in his apron, and soared through the air to find its normal position on the magician's collar. "He said he wouldn't miss this afternoon for the world."

They left and Pepper turned to Tony.

"Seriously? What are you planning that will bring Wong out of the sanctum?"

"Barbeque, honey," Stark told her with an innocent shrug. "_Everyone_ loves a good barbeque, right?"

Except Stephen, of course.


	124. Chapter 124

The morning was a lazy one – especially considering it was the middle of the week.

Pepper and Tony played cards at the corner table all the while surreptitiously watching as Peter and Shuri went over and sat down at the table with Sirah and the guardians. They couldn't hear what was being said – they were too far away for that – but Sirah was looking interested, and Gamora wasn't the only one looking pleased with the resolution.

"We'll hammer out the final details with T'Challa when we see him, today," Tony told his wife.

"He's coming?"

The billionaire affected an innocence that she definitely didn't fall for.

"I didn't tell you?"

"Tony…"

He looked at his watch.

"Don't you have a conference call, or something?"

"Yes." She finished the hand that they were playing and got up, leaning over and kissing Ironpig on the top of his head. "Don't do anything foolish while I'm gone."

"_Whaaat?"_

Pepper just shook her head and went to the door. Tony smiled when he saw Peter get up and walk over to join her. He said something that Tony couldn't hear, and Pepper put an arm around the boy and the two left, while Shuri walked over to Tony's table.

"She is not leaving the compound, is she?" Shuri asked.

"No. She has a conference call that she can't get out of. Luckily she can do that from our quarters."

"Good. For a moment I was worried that she had found out what was happening."

Tony smiled.

"Did you sic Peter on her to make sure she stays?"

"No." she sat down. "He said he wanted to spend time with her before everyone else comes."

Tony approved, of course.

"Good. Sirah is on board with the idea of living in Wakanda?"

"She appears to be. If you approve, we will take her back to Wakanda when we leave this evening."

"I approve," he told her. "But really, even if I _didn't_, she should still go back with you – if that's what _she_ wants. Maybe I'll see if Steve wants to go so that he can see that she's settled and satisfied. He's pretty concerned about her future, after all."

"He is welcome to come – perhaps Carol will be interested in joining him."

She, of course, was pleased with the idea. It was _Captain America_, after all.

"Feel free to ask him," Tony agreed. "If he says no, tell me, and _I'll_ send him."

Shuri smiled at that.

"I will keep that in mind."

She was pretty sure that between her and T'Challa, Steve would come to Wakanda.

"Good. Chess?"

"Certainly."

OOOOO

"So, are you going to tell me what you and Tony have under your sleeves?" Pepper asked her son as the two walked back to her quarters.

"It's a _secret_."

He wasn't as good at pretending to be innocent as Tony was.

"Is it crazy?"

"Depends on your definition of _crazy_, I suppose."

"He isn't _flying_ me anywhere?"

"No. You said you didn't want to go anywhere," Peter reminded her.

"I also said I didn't want anything extravagant…"

"I know."

"And yet… there will be some, won't there?"

_"Maybe."_

Pepper smiled, tilting her head as they walked so she could touch his.

"You two are amazing."

"We think you are, too. How long will your conference call last, do you think?"

"An hour, or so. You _sure_ you want to hang out? It's not going to be very interesting – and it's going to be in French."

"No. I'm fine with that. I'll stay out of the way."

She touched his hair, and only released him when they walked into the living room area of their quarters.

"You're not in the way," she assured him. "You can sit beside me, if you want."

She pulled up a display and sat down on the sofa, patting the space beside her in invitation – which Peter took her up on. He didn't sit, though, instead choosing to stretch out on the sofa and rest his head on her leg.

"It's alright?" he asked, uncertainly, but clearly hoping for an affirmative.

The toddler was practically wriggling with happiness at the contact. And at the idea of having her to himself.

"It's _perfect_." Pepper rested her hand on Peter's shoulder. "Friday? Will you please let the others know that I'm ready?"

A moment later the display lit up, and Pepper was able to see herself in the corner of the screen and a few other participants in the forefront. From his position, Peter was able to see everyone – although he only recognized two people that Pepper worked with at the tower – and none of them could see him. He didn't mind. He shifted just enough to make sure that the injured hand wasn't pinned under him, and then closed his eyes, listening as the meeting started, and having no trouble following along, even though the conversation was, indeed, in French.

OOOOOOO

Wong walked into the lounge exactly at noon. Tony wasn't surprised to see him, as Friday had advised him the moment the sorcerer appeared in Peter's quarters. The billionaire greeted him, as did Shuri, who was still at the table playing chess.

"Stephen isn't back, yet?"

"No, not yet." Tony wasn't concerned. "It's a lot to get organized. I'm sure he'll be here at the prescribed time."

Wong nodded, looking at Shuri.

"And _your_ people? Are they ready?"

"My brother says they are ready when we are."

"They have more people to get organized than Thor does, but T'Challa is a _king_, and they're used to taking orders and have a bit more discipline than the Asgardians do."

"True." Wong seated himself at the table. "Stephen tells me Peter returned the time stone."

"He did – and the mind stone is back where it belongs, as well."

"And the space stone?"

"Goes back to Asgard with Thor, tonight, I think – provided Peter is up for it."

"Good. They should be separated as quickly as possible, now that Peter can take care of it."

"Are the stones so dangerous?" Shuri asked, curiously.

She was vaguely aware of them from what she heard around the compound – she knew they were cause of the bright light that had apparently healed the world's injured and sick and that Peter was responsible, but she didn't really know _that_ much – and was always ready to learn something. Especially when it was something that affected Peter.

"In the wrong hands? Absolutely. In _Peter's_? Not as much – but they were never intended to be together."

Shuri nodded.

"The guardians are taking one with them when they leave."

"The reality stone will go to the collector. He will be able to keep it safe, there."

"And they'll charge him a _fortune_ to get it back," Tony added. He winked at Shuri, silently telling her that he was fine with her being in on the conversation they were having. "And that will leave two to get rid of. The soul stone and the power stone."

"Thanos destroyed the protectors of the power stone," Wong reminded Tony. "What are you planning on doing with it?"

"No clue," Stark admitted. "And we have no idea how to put the soul stone back where Peter got it, so we'll have to wait on those." He looked at his watch, and stood up. "Pepper's going to be wrapping up her call, soon. We should get the Wakandans here and in place before she's done." He bowed, slightly, to Shuri. "Highness? Call your brother, please and tell him we're ready."

Shuri nodded, her dark eyes excited.

"Of course."


	125. Chapter 125

_A/N: Pepper's birthday is getting a few chapters, I realized just now. But as much as she puts up with from Tony - and does for Peter and the others, I suppose it's only fair. Hope you guys aren't getting bored._

OOOOOOO

Pepper was somewhat surprised that Peter was still awake when the meeting ended. She'd pretty much expected that he would doze off, either because the meeting itself was dry content, or because he was warm and comfortable – or a combination of those things. Instead, he seemed to be listening, even though he never opened her eyes. He smiled at a few jokes, which told her, silently, that he was able to follow along with the conversation – even though she knew that he was taking Spanish in school and had never taken French.

Which reminded her that she had a meeting with the school about Peter later that week. He'd been out of classes since the beginning of the school year, and they'd sent her a letter advising that while they completely understood _why_ he wasn't attending (although they thought it was almost strictly his appendix), he'd missed so much schoolwork by then that they were suggesting he be homeschooled for the remainder of the first trimester – to give him a chance to catch up at his own pace.

He'd be welcomed back the next semester, of course, and they were certain that he'd be ready and able to get back into the swing of things. It was something that they were more than willing to talk to her and her husband about.

She was sure the whole idea would upset Peter, and hadn't even brought it up with Tony, yet, since he'd been so busy with the aftermath of the battle of the compound – and all the guests that they had in the facility, just then.

"Still awake?" she asked, pushing that concern out of her mind, just then, in order to focus on her son, who opened his eyes as the display went blank and nodded, smiling up at her.

"Yeah. They really like having the access to the tech for those drones, don't they?"

Pepper smiled, brushing her fingers along his forehead and pushing his hair back out of his eyes.

"They definitely do. Which is fine, because it works out well for the developers – and for SI. We're making a lot of money on the videos that they create with the cameras affixed to the drones."

"And they can't sell them to the French military?"

"Nope." Pepper loved the fact that he seemed interested in the business side of things and not just the idea of being a superhero. "The first indication of any contracts outside of those already agreed to would be in violation of our contracts, and would renege their side of the merger. They'd forfeit their entire company's profits."

"And they know it."

"Of _course_ they do. That's why the clause is in there; to keep them honest."

Peter sat up, cradling his hand against his stomach, a little.

"That was _fun_. I should listen to more of your conference calls."

"When we have them _here_, you're welcome to. The ones at the tower are a little more formal, but you could come to them, too. If you want."

"If the superhero thing doesn't pan out, I'd better be ready to start working in the mail room."

It was a common joke between them, but it made them both smile. Peter was serious, though, about learning what Pepper did, and he spent time with her when he could – and on their way to the city in the mornings he would sometimes pepper her with questions about the business model of various companies that she was being wooed by – or that SI was wooing.

Someone had to help her run things until she and Tony decided to have a biological child of their own to make the actual heir to the Stark Industries business.

"_They don't have any plans to have any children_," Alec told him. "_They have _you_, and they're extremely content to _just _have you – for as long as you need them."_

That made Peter feel warm inside, and he surprised Pepper by leaning into her and hugging her, one-handed, for a long moment. She put her arms around him, tucking his head under her chin like Tony did so often, and running her fingers through his hair.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asked, softly – just to make sure he wasn't feeling overwhelmed by everything.

"Yeah. I just love you, is all."

"Awww…" she turned her head and kissed his ear. "You're still _grounded_, though."

Peter laughed and pulled away, his eyes cheerful – which told her that he wasn't having a rough day and had just wanted to spend time with her.

"I'm going to call and see if they're ready."

"Ready for what?"

Peter shrugged.

"The _barbeque_."

Her expression turned suspicious - but she already knew that something was up, of course.

"We _could_ just go look…"

"But that-"

He was interrupted when his watch beeped at him, and smirked as Tony's voice came over the communications. Obviously Friday had informed the billionaire that the conference call was completed, otherwise he wouldn't have interrupted.

"_Peter. Are you still with mom?"_

He nodded, even though Tony couldn't see the motion.

"Yes. Are we ready?"

"_We are. Bring her out to the field."_

"We'll be there in a couple of minutes."

The line went dead, and Pepper rolled her eyes.

"You two are so bad at being coy."

"We don't get a lot of practice," he agreed. "Ready?"

She looked down at herself, dressed in slacks and a polo shirt with her hair back in a relaxed ponytail.

"Am I dressed alright?"

"You're perfect." He reached for the paper crown that she'd left on the back of the sofa before the conference call had begun. "Don't forget your crown."

"I'm _not_ wearing a crown in front of T'Challa," Pepper told him, rolling her eyes. "It'd be ridiculous."

"He won't think so. Come on… or I'm going to tattle."

Another eyeroll, and she picked up the paper crown and set it, indelicately, on her head.

"I think you're spending too much time with Tony," she accused him. "It's beginning to rub off on you."

"Or not enough."

He offered her his arm, she accepted it, and the two left her quarters and headed down the corridor.

OOOOOOOOO

There was a fairly large crowd of people out in the field when Peter and Pepper walked out the door – with the boy holding it politely for her. Tony swept in, taking Pepper from their son, and hooked her arm through his before she could stop him.

"Hey, birthday girl. Welcome to your party."

She shook her head, looking around.

The field was wide open, still, with the tables that normally would be dotting the edges still folded and leaning against the side of the building. The two barbeques that normally served up the meat for their festivities were off to the side, both were smoking, already, proof that they were ready to start cooking – but there were two more of them, besides, also smoking, which made Pepper wonder just how many people Tony had invited to the compound.

Along the edge of the grass someone had constructed a dais. To her consternation the same throne that they'd installed her in in the lounge was now in the middle of the dais – with comfortable folding chairs around it. This was where Tony led her, and T'Challa and Ramonda were both waiting for her – along with M'Baku, Shuri and Thor.

T'Challa bowed, politely, his dark eyes lit up with amusement at her discomfiture at being the center of so much attention. He reached for her hand, kissing it, lightly.

"Happy birthday."

Pepper's complexion showed her flush – a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure – and she smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you. I told Tony nothing extravagant," she added. "Why do I get the feeling he isn't being completely honest with me when he said he didn't have anything extreme planned?"

"Because he is _devious_," T'Challa told her, amused. "I told you that you should have married me."

Ramonda smiled, as well, also greeting Pepper, warmly.

"It is a measure of his love that he is willing to face your wrath – and perhaps a marker of his intelligence that he managed to get others involved so there is not one person, only, to blame."

"Devious and intelligent," Pepper said, smiling a greeting to M'Baku and Shuri. "That's Tony, alright."

Thor chuckled; the sound booming, even though it was soft. Like rolling thunder – apt as it was.

"The day is young, Pepper," he told her – and it was he who took her hand and walked her over to the throne that was waiting for her. "My people are waiting."

"Your people?" she echoed, looking over her shoulder at Tony, who was greeting Ramonda with a kiss to her cheek. Peter had walked over to stand near Shuri. "How _many_ of your people?"

The god of Thunder smirked, looking pleased with himself – the same expression that Tony was wearing, just then.

"A lot of them."


	126. Chapter 126

The dais was obviously designed to be a viewing platform, Pepper decided, as she settled herself onto her 'throne' and watched as Tony seated himself to her right, while T'Challa took the place on her left – after he made sure his mother and sister were both comfortable. Thor moved off the platform completely and vanished off to the side – as did M'Baku – while those people who had been standing around when she'd arrived (including Natasha, Clint, Steve, Vision, the Guardians and everyone else that was currently at the compound) all walked to the edge of the grass field, as well, looking out toward the trees.

Pepper noticed that Stephen was absent, but Natasha wasn't standing alone, since Peter had walked over to join her, and the assassin put a companionable arm around the boy's waist, holding him close as they, too, turned and watched the direction of the trees.

Pepper had been aware that Romanoff was smiling a lot, lately, and made a mental note to find out what had her so pleased. Or happy. It was hard to read her, sometimes – even for someone as good at it as Pepper was. She saw Nick Fury walk out of the side door of the compound, dressed in his usual leather uniform and the SHIELD director looked over at the dais and then toward the trees. He pulled out a gun – she realized at the last minute that it wasn't a handgun – and fired a flare into the early afternoon sky.

A signal of some sort, Pepper decided.

Suddenly the sunny day darkened, clouds drew in from nowhere, making everyone look up at them. A massive bolt of lightning gathered and shot out of the clouds with a rumble of thunder, all streaking toward a lone figure now standing in the center of the field. The thunder roared as Thor stepped forward, the clouds cleared, giving way for the sun once more, and a beam of light landed just right, shining down on the god of Thunder.

"Show off," Tony murmured, softly, from Pepper's right.

She smiled, though, because she could hear in his tone that he was impressed – and couldn't hide it.

She didn't say anything, instead keeping her eyes on the tree line. There were sudden motions along the entire stretch, and people were stepping out from the cover of the green foliage. Asgardian, all, she could tell, immediately. They were singing; softly at first and then louder as they cleared the trees. Pepper didn't know what they were singing since it was a language that she didn't understand, but it was a gentle tune that seemed to be building, slightly, and she realized that the women who were singing were the troupe that they'd been entertained by when they'd been to Asgard.

Luckily, they were dressed a bit more modestly, this time – although she did glance over toward Peter, automatically. He was still with Romanoff, though, and watching, intently.

The song changed as the men joined in, and now it was more of a rousing tune. A flight of raptor-style birds appeared overhead, fierce beaks and talons easy to see as the massive wings carried them low over the watching crowd, even as the song built, further. Pepper found her heart beating faster with excitement at the stirring tones, and the troupe of performers were joined by a large group of warriors, all of whom were carrying weapons from their home world, and brandishing them with competence that left her – and those watching – breathless.

The warriors performed mock battles with each other, their weapons razor sharp and the steel flashing in the sunshine of the day. The sound of metal clashing with metal only added to the intensity of the song that was still being sung, and as the battles began to slow and the song reached a crescendo to its climax, there was a sudden shadow falling over the field and a murmur of amazement as the onlookers all had their attention drawn upwards, to the sky.

The raptors were gone, now, having flown off, and Pepper felt her jaw drop as she saw two small creatures that could only be called dragons fly low overhead, swooping through the sky above them, scales of gold and silver gleaming and mouths opening to display teeth at long as some of the daggers that the Asgardian warriors were wielding. The song crested, and the dragons roared, disappearing over the compound roof, and another flying form drew their attention – and another murmur of awe.

The Pegasus was brilliant white. Made more so by the sunlight that was bathing it. The wings of the creature were spread wide and seemed to be giving off sparks as it flew over them, and then turned and made another flyby – directed by the woman who was riding on its back. The song came to its climax just as the last sound of battle rang clear, and as the Pegasus disappeared into the sun, the song ended on a final note, and the warriors stilled, looking at their audience – and not a single piece of armor out of place, and no one scratched.

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then the watching crowd roared its approval, cheering and whistling and clapping. Pepper was one of them, of course, smiling broadly and amazed that so many of them were willing to put on a show – brief as it was but incredible, nonetheless – just for them.

The Asgardians bowed, politely, and then moved to the side of the field, well out of the way – and Pepper wasn't the only one to look toward the trees once more with silent anticipation.

They didn't have to wait long.

As Thor had done, a lone figure suddenly walked out of the trees. Dark skin gleaming in the sun, and wearing the formal warrior's garb of his own country, M'Baku stood alone and imposing in the middle of the field. He was holding a spear in his hand, and he lifted his head and made a sharp cry that echoed through the field and beyond.

There was a thundering reply from the trees, and M'Baku repeated his cry – which was a summons, Pepper decided.

Sure enough, more movements at the tree line, and suddenly the warriors of Wakanda were pouring from the small forest and onto the field. Like the Asgardians, they were dressed in warrior's garb. Leather, metal, cloth and a lot of bare skin that was designed to show off the tattoos from their manhood rites, the warriors formed up in ranks behind the Jabari chieftain.

A soft chant began, the noise like the sound of distant thunder, and Pepper looked for Thor, but realized the sound was coming from the Wakandans, instead, this time. They stepped forward, slowly, and they were all carrying the same spears that Peter had learned to use. Only they looked a lot more impressive with theirs than Peter probably would ever manage.

As the others watched, the Wakandans began a low chant, which grew in sound as they began twirling their spears in perfect symmetry, the metal flashing dangerously close to the heads of those warriors around them. The chanting continued, and M'Baku's spear was brought up above his head with an undulating cry. The field went quiet and the spears stilled. A lone figure broke ranks of the gathered warriors, and Pepper and the others watched as Azoru walked out, calm and cool and dressed in a similar fashion to his uncle. He turned toward Pepper and bowed, then turned to M'Baku and bowed to him, as well, before brining his own spear up.

The Jabari chieftain lunged at his nephew without warning, but Azoru blocked the attack and returned with one of his own – which was immediately repelled. The remaining warriors formed half a circle around them, and resumed their chanting as the sparring went on. Eventually, M'Baku swept low with his spear and took Azoru's feet out from under him. The young Wakandan noble went down and his uncle made a cry of triumph – which was answered by the others.

Before Pepper could worry that the boy was injured – even though she was certain it would have been accidental – Azoru sprang to his feet and was surrounded by half of the warriors, while the other half surrounded M'Baku. There was a sudden scream from somewhere in the group, and as if it was a signal – and it probably was – the two crowds moved back, and were now facing each other. Spears twirled, again, in mock combat, although none of the touched the weapon of anyone close to them – which was just as impressive as watching the Asgardians try to pound each other into dust. After ten minutes of an incredible display of weapons control, the Wakandans all ended up facing the dais in a single smooth motion, and the spears went into their left hands, while the right hands activated shields that looked like they were made out of the same forcefields that protected the country of Wakanda, itself.

M'Baku took his rightful place in front of his people just as the sky darkened – not from clouds, but as if a deep blue veil had been brought over the sun. A motion behind the Wakandans near the trees caught the attention of those who were most observant, and Stephen and Wong were both standing therands raised.

Before Pepper could wonder what they were up to, the sky was exploding in several different places as fireworks like nothing seen – even on the fourth of July, or New Years' Even – began to light up the darkened backdrop. The display was mammoth, and everyone was enthralled. Especially in the end when a final explosion of color sent up blue and silver sparkles that eventually spelled out 'Happy Birthday Pepper' in thirty foot letters.

As the light show was fading and the sky returned to its normal sunny day, the Wakandan warriors moved from the field, as well, coming to join the Asgardians and the people from the compound. Now it was clear why there was so much more food than usual; they were planning on staying and enjoying the barbeque. She shook her head, and looked over at Tony, unable to hide how pleased she was by it all.

"Nothing extravagant?" she said, incredulously.

His eyes widened innocently.

"What? You think that was _extravagant_?"

She rolled her eyes, but reached out and squeezed his hand, lightly.

"Thank you."


	127. Chapter 127

Peter's eyes were big, and brown, and hopeful.

"Please…?"

"No. It's too dangerous. You'll fall off and land on your head."

"I'll be careful. Please, mom…"

Pepper tried very hard to ignore just how hopeful he was looking, just then.

"Honey, you're allergic to horses…"

Peter went to his knees in front of the throne she was sitting on, his eyes watching hers for any sign of a crack in the refusal. It was too amazing of as opportunity to give up on without a fight.

"It would only be for a little while. _Please_? I'll never ask you for anything, again. Ever."

She looked over at Tony, who shook his head, helplessly. He would have already given in, so she wasn't going to get any help from him.

"We only have one son," Pepper told Peter. "If you fell off, who would run the company when we're old?"

"I'm Spiderman," he reminded her, loving the fact that she mentioned him being her son – even though she was using it as an argument to keep him from doing what he was literally begging her to let him do. "I won't fall off. And if I _did_, I'd bounce back up. Honest. Please? I'll never have another chance at something like this…"

Pepper sighed, and was aware that she wasn't the only one involved in a similar conversation – with an equally hopeful teen.

"_Please_, brother?"

"No. It is too dangerous. If you fell off, Wakanda would lose an heir. And I would lose my only sister," he added, obviously hoping that would cushion the refusal.

It didn't.

"I will not fall off. I have ridden, before. Many times."

"Not a flying horse," Ramonda pointed out, listening to the conversation. "It doesn't even have a saddle."

"A princess does not beg," T'Challa said, trying to appeal to her pride, since she wasn't listening to anything else that he was telling her – and her expression plainly told him that she wasn't about to take no for an answer – even if it was the only answer she was getting, thus far.

"A princess should be allowed to experience everything that is put in front of her," Shuri told him, primly. "How else can I connect with the people?"

T'Challa rolled his eyes.

"That does not include something like this."

Thor smirked, watching as the adults were set on by the youngsters and well aware (but unconcerned) that it was his fault, since he'd offered both Peter and Shuri a chance to ride the Pegasus.

"It's perfectly safe," he assured Pepper and T'Challa, nonchalantly. "A Pegasus is a magical creature. As long as it _allows_ the person to be on its back, they will stay in place, even without a saddle."

"We wouldn't dream of attempting to saddle the creature," the woman who had ridden the flying horse during the performance told them. She'd been introduced as Valkyrie and had bowed, politely, to everyone when she'd met them. "He'd leave and never return – and for good reason."

"After splattering our brains with those sharp hooves of his," Thor added.

Peter rolled his eyes. Thor wasn't helping his case, any.

"How do you get him to go where you want him to go, then?" T'Challa asked, clearly searching for another argument against his sister riding the flying horse. "Without reins."

"In battle I guide him with my legs, the way a rider would any battle steed. For your children? It would simply be a random flight; take off, fly around and then land."

Peter didn't even object to being called a child. He simply looked at Pepper, again.

"Please, mom?"

She signed.

"Fine. But Stephen's cloak rides with you."

Peter sprang to his feet, his entire being suffused with excitement.

"I'll go get it, right now."

The boy hopped off the slightly raised dais and trotted over to the edge of the building where tables had now been set up and people were sitting around, the Wakandans and the Asgardians all intermingling with the Avengers and their other allies. Stephen was sitting at a table with Natasha, and they were talking to M'Baku, Azoru and Gamora.

Shuri looked at her brother, and the King of Wakanda sighed, as well – although the sound was barely audible.

"Fine. You may ride the Pegasus, as well – but only if the cloak will ride with _you_, as well."

They all knew that Stephen's cloak was magical, and that it allowed someone to float. A good safety net for someone riding a flying horse. Shuri smiled, her eyes just as excited as Peter's – although she was a little more dignified when she nodded.

"I will go ask, as well."

They watched as she walked over to the tables to join Peter, who was already talking to Stephen, gesturing toward where the brightly shining steed was standing in the middle of the training field, grazing on the sweet grass and ignoring Jack – who was desperately trying to get it to make friends with him.

"I must be out of my mind…" Pepper muttered.

"Nah," Tony smiled, loving the concern – and the fact that Peter was so happy (and that _Pepper_ was, too, despite her words). "You just want him to be happy."

"And when he falls off?"

"Then he'll still be happy," Thor told her with a shrug. "He won't, though. I assure you."

Pepper didn't look convinced – and really, T'Challa and Ramona didn't, either.

"Let's go watch," Tony suggested.

If something really did go south, and he was there, he could always go Ironman and pluck the plummeting youngster from the sky, after all.

"Yes. Good idea."

OOOOOOO

"I can't believe he talked Pepper into letting him ride that thing…"

Natasha smiled, watching as Peter and Shuri walked over with Valkyrie and Thor to where the Pegasus was standing. The Cloak of Levitation was draped over Peter's shoulder, now. The creature's head came up and he watched them approach, wings flaring, in greeting – or in _nervousness_. Romanoff wasn't close enough to tell which – and didn't read horses all that well, anyway, she'd be the first to admit.

"It's Peter…" Stephen said, shrugging. "As you know, it's incredibly hard to say no to him. He doesn't ask for things very often, after all."

"Still…"

"It should be interesting," Wong told them, smiling as he watched, too.

"To see if he falls off?" Clint asked.

"The Pegasus is magical," Wong said. "Alive, yes, and a living creature which can be injured or even killed. But very much imbued with magic – obviously."

"Wings that big would get an eagle off the ground," Stephen agreed. "But not something as heavy as a full grown horse. "It has to have magic involved."

"That's interesting," Gamora agreed.

"That is," Wong nodded. "But the interesting thing will be to see if the magical species has the same connection to Peter that other magical relics have."

"You mean if it falls in love with him?" Natasha asked.

"That too. It might just love up on him like the cloak."

Barton smirked.

"Tony would love that, wouldn't he?"

"That's why it's so interesting," Wong said, also smiling.

All of them watched from where they were sitting, waiting to see what happened – only now with more interest than before.


	128. Chapter 128

"This is a terrible idea…" Pepper said, not for the first time, as they walked across the field, following Peter, Shuri, Valkyrie and Thor.

T'Challa looked as uncertain as she felt, and as they came up to the winged horse, her concern only grew. Pepper had been raised on a farm. She'd had a horse as a child, and there had been many others on the property. The Pegasus was beautiful, yes, brilliant white and powerful, gleaming in the sunlight. But he was a large creature, and Pepper knew as well as anyone – and better than many – just how dangerous those sharp hooves could be.

"It's too late, now," Tony told her, taking her hand. "Don't worry. They'll be fine."

"Have you ridden, before?" the exotic Asgardian woman asked the two teens as they stopped in the front of the horse.

Shuri nodded, eyes moving along the creature's body, admiringly.

"Many times," she replied.

Peter hesitated, but the Pegasus stretched his beautiful neck out, bringing his nose against Peter's cheek.

"I rode a rhino, once," the boy said, reaching up and brushing his hand along the pristine neck. "Not for long. I can ride a bike, though."

Since it was obvious that Valkyrie didn't have a clue what a bike or a rhino was, she gave him a smile.

"You'll enjoy this, I think. Who will go first?"

The two teens looked at each other. The whole ladies first thing seemed appropriate, but if it was dangerous, Peter wanted to go first, to make sure that the thing about not being able to fall off was really a thing.

"I'd like to try it, first, if I may?"

Everyone turned and looked at Pepper, who had spoken up. She stepped forward, releasing Tony's hand and smiling at Peter as she ran her hand along the brilliant white neck of the flying horse. He was soft and she could feel the power in his body – and despite the fact that she simply had been thinking that the best way to make sure it was safe was to try it before they allowed the teens to – she felt a thrill of anticipation at the thought of riding such a magnificent creature.

"It's your celebration," Thor said, shrugging, as he looked at his companion.

Valkyrie nodded.

"Of course."

"Where do I mount?"

Thor himself offered his hand to Pepper as she walked to the horse's side. She took a handful of mane, stepped onto his hand, lightly, and sprang onto the Pegasus's back.

The Pegasus snorted, softly, but his nose was still stuck in Peter's ear. He didn't seem at all perturbed at having someone on his back, but he was definitely interested in Peter.

"Can you feel his mind?" Peter asked Alec, trying to hide his concern about Pepper going for a ride, first. What if something happened to her? What if she fell off? Tony could catch her – and the cloak, maybe – but it would ruin her birthday if there was an accident. "Is he safe?"

"_I'm not the Horse Whisperer,"_ Alec told him, amused and not hiding it from his young friend. "_But he's very much magical. You can feel that, right?"_

"Yes."

The creature tingled, very like the cloak – and even the teleportation rock. And the sanctum, itself, for that matter.

"_Then he's probably fine."_

"Probably…"

As if in response to Peter's uncertainty, the cloak transferred itself over to Pepper's shoulders just as Valkyrie slapped the animal's rump to get his attention back to what was going on. The horse snorted in Peter's ear, and turned his magnificent head toward her, and she made a motion with her hand, stepping back.

Tony's hand on Peter's shoulder pulled him back, too – although he kept the hand there, which relayed just a little of the nervousness that Stark was feeling. Pepper was his everything, after all.

"Ready?" Valkyrie asked Pepper, who shifted a little on the broad back and then smiled, clearly feeling her own excitement at the thought of what to come.

"Yes."

The horse snorted, again, and then the wings snapped out from the creature's body and he launched himself and his rider into the air with a single leap and a powerful downstroke. The grip on Peter's shoulder tightened just a bit but Tony was looking up, as was Peter, watching as the horse soared into the sky, looking majestic and amazing as it made a wide circle, flying almost lazily, like a giant bird of prey circling the compound and outlying area several times before angling its wings and tilting its body to return toward the field.

Peter's sharp vision made it easy for him to see Pepper's expression as the animal turned back their direction. He smiled at how thrilled she looked, and her smile was broad when the Pegasus came soaring in for a landing that wasn't exactly smooth, but didn't dislodge his rider in any way.

It was Tony who stepped up to give her a hand down, and she swung her leg over the white back and slid down into his arms, easily.

"Well?" he asked, unnecessarily.

"That was incredible." She patted the horse's side in thanks, and stepped away, and the cloak disengaged from her shoulders and waited, clearly waiting to see who was next to go. If it was annoyed at the idea of being used in such a capacity, Peter couldn't feel it. "I'm convinced."

Shuri stepped up, her eyes bright. Girls and horses were universal.

"I would like to try it, please."

To his credit, T'Challa didn't look too worried as his little sister was tossed up onto the back of the Pegasus, next, by Thor. The god of Thunder smiled and slapped the animal's rear, and its rear foot shot out, missing him only because his reflexes were a match for the creature. The lesson was learned, though, and Valkyrie smirked at Thor, who rolled his eyes.

Fine, the horse didn't like having his rump slapped, no matter that it had only been good-natured.

"Hold his mane if you feel the need for something to steady you," Valkyrie told Shuri, who immediately reached for a handful of the silvery hair in front of her, even as the cloak settled over her shoulders like a heavy blanket.

The others stepped back and the Pegasus once more launched into the sky, and Shuri clutched at the mane, but yelped in excitement at the same time.

"You had to try it first, huh?" Peter heard Tony murmur softly to Pepper.

"I know horses better than both of them," she reminded him. Of course, Peter knew nothing about them, and while Shuri had ridden before, the princess was from a nation that didn't boast many – if _any_ – of the creatures. "If someone was going to fall off, it was going to be me."

"I love you, birthday girl," Tony whispered, and Peter smiled, even while he watched the bright white creature in the sky give his rider an experience that she wouldn't soon – if ever – forget.

Pepper didn't give a verbal response, and whatever she might have done Peter didn't see. Shuri's ride lasted a few minutes longer than Pepper's had, and the girl was grinning almost foolishly by the time the horse came in for his landing, wings flaring to slow his speed as he did.

"That was incredible," Shuri said, smiling happily at her brother and mother as Thor helped her off the huge animal's back. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Valkyrie assured her, pleased at the courtesy. A Pegasus wasn't normally used for entertainment like this, after all. She turned to Peter. "Ready?"

The boy nodded, stepping up and placing his uninjured hand against the warm side, pressing his palm against its incandescent hide. The Pegasus snorted, turning its head and nuzzling his nose against Peter's cheek, whuffling him, almost cheerfully.

"Need help?" Thor asked.

Peter shook his head. He was Spiderman, right? He could leap onto a small building, he probably wouldn't have any problem jumping up onto a horse. Even a tall one like this.

"No. I think I'm good."

He jumped, and brought his leg over like he'd seen in a million movies, and caught the toe of his shoe against the creature's wing. The motion that should have been smooth – he was a pretty graceful kid, after all – was almost completely spoiled by a near tumble off the far side of the Pegasus's back. Only a shift in the body under him – and a quick step to the side – kept him from looking like an idiot, and maybe having Pepper tell him she changed her mind.

Peter righted himself, grinning down at the others at his near miss – and pointedly ignoring the uncertainty that had suddenly sprang up in Pepper and Tony's expressions. The cloak flew up to his shoulders and settled with him, and Peter tightened his legs around that barrel body. The Pegasus craned his neck so it could look back at him, and Peter felt a thrill run through him – and realized that he wasn't feeling his own emotions, he was getting a vibe from the horse. The Pegasus.

"_I think you're right,"_ Alec agreed, and it was clear he was amused – and maybe a little awed. _"It's magical, after all, and everyone knows magical things like you. No reason he would be any different, right?"_

Peter nodded.

"_True."_

"Ready?" Valkyrie asked, unaware of the silent conversation – although she was a lot more synced with the Pegasus and had caught his interest in the boy.

"Yes."

"Hold on," Pepper told him.

Peter reached for that silvery mane like he'd seen Shuri do, and a moment later the powerful creature he was sitting on launched himself – and his rider – into the air. Peter gave a whoop of excitement, and Tony shook his head.

"Good thing he's allergic," Stark told his wife. "I'm thinking he'd be tempted to ask for one for Christmas, or something."

And, of course, then Tony would absolutely try to find one.


	129. Chapter 129

"So… what do we do, now?"

Tony shrugged, watching as Peter tried to ignore the long, velvet-covered nose and the soft lips that were nibbling on the back of his hair while he sat with Shuri, Rocket and Groot at one of the tables.

"Beats me. _Stephen_?"

"Oh, no…" the magician said, smiling his amusement as Peter pushed the Pegasus's nose away from his hair with a gentle admonishment that did nothing to make the magical creature stop what it was doing. "_This_ is not a sorcerer supreme problem – and that creature didn't come from the sanctum. This is an _Avenger_ problem."

Peter's flight with the Pegasus had been smooth, despite the slight mishap that it began with. It had been a little longer than the other two had been, but the landing had been flawless and the boy had looked properly excited by the ride. Certainly, he looked as if making the promise to never ask for anything else as long as he lived had been worth it.

Then, though, rather than move away from the group of humans and graze while waiting for the afternoon to finish, the winged creature had sidled up to Peter once he'd seated himself at the table, and had hovered over the boy, alternating between lipping his hair, playfully, and spreading a wing over him and sheltering him from the view of the others. Or maybe just making a point of telling the rest of them who Peter belonged to, now. Either way, it was amusing to Strange, but not so much to Tony, who was concerned that Peter really might _want_ to keep the thing, and _Valkyrie_ didn't seem to approve so much, either.

"I don't want to have a long talk with it," Stark said, watching as Shuri reached up and patted the horse's side, saying something to Peter as she did, which made the boy smile and shake his head. "Is it in love with him, or just infatuated with him?"

"How should I know?"

"It's _magical_, right? You deal with magic. It's not the whole _in love with a virgin_ thing, is it?"

Wong snorted.

"You're thinking of _unicorns_."

Pepper smiled, although she had her concerns, as well.

"It isn't harassing Shuri quite as much as it is Peter," she pointed out. "So we can assume it's because of the magic thing."

"We don't have a barn," Natasha said. "And it's a little big to sleep in his bed."

Besides, she might want to cuddle with him, herself, sometime, and something that big would definitely be in the way.

"He's allergic to horses."

"The Pegasus isn't exactly a horse," Wong told them before Strange could. "It's probably allergen free."

"That should be a relief," Tony replied rolling his eyes. "But it _isn't_."

"At least I won't need to give him a shot, or anything," Strange replied.

"He'll be fine," Thor said, shaking his head. "The creature is from legend and will return to Asgard when I return. It will not leave Valkyrie for Peter. And I _assure_ you, _she_ isn't a virg-"

"We don't need to discuss that," Pepper interrupted.

Tony nodded his agreement. At the moment, the table held Wong, Stephen, Natasha – and himself and Pepper, of course. T'Challa was talking to Sirah, Gamora, Mantis and Ramonda (who was holding Ironpig) – and was almost certainly offering the former slave girl the choice of what she wanted to do in Wakanda – while the others were intermingled with their visitors. Even Bruce was at the barbeque – although the man had been holed up in his lab in the tower for almost a week, now, and had been running all kinds of tests on himself to try and confirm that the ability to change himself at will wasn't just a temporary thing.

At the moment, he was playing volleyball with a small group of people – including Quill, Drax, Rogers, Danvers and Clint – as well as Azoru and a couple other Wakandans. Stark liked seeing them enjoying themselves.

"We _do_ need to discuss the space stone, however," he added.

"I assume you are not intending to keep it for yourself?" Thor asked.

"Not on your life," Tony assured him. "The last thing we want are all of those things here at the compound. Bad enough trying to figure out what to do with the ones we're not completely sure how to return."

"Such as?"

"The power stone doesn't have a guardian, any longer," Stephen said.

"And while we know where Peter found the soul stone – at least, _he_ knows where he found it – it is uncertain how to return it to that place. Or, more specifically, to the guardian who holds it."

Tony's expression was serious.

"We need to learn a bit more about that," he agreed. "Peter says a sacrifice was needed to get it – and that May had been the sacrifice – but does that mean another one has to be made to _return_ it? Or, even more worrisome, does the sacrifice return with the return of the stone?"

They all (except Thor) understood that Tony wasn't concerned that May would return because he was worried about losing Peter to her, but was worried that it wouldn't exactly be May. Maybe a spirit of May, like _Alec_, or something, stuck in Peter's head. The boy had enough stressed, Tony didn't want that to be added to them.

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that," Thor admitted. "But I will take the space stone back to Asgard when we leave. If it is ever needed, again, it will be where Peter found it; in the vault dedicated to my father."

"A safe place for it," Wong replied.

"You didn't find anything in your library about the soul stone and how to return it?" the god of Thunder asked.

"There is very little known about the soul stone. Of all the stones of power, it is the most mysterious."

"What will you do with the power stone?" Thor asked.

"Find a place for it."

"On Earth?"

"Not if we can avoid it."

Time enough to worry about that later, though. Thor taking the Space stone would clear another one of the infinity stones off the planet – and the guardians were going to be leaving within a week, or so, he knew. That would take care of another. He wouldn't send two of them to the collector, and he wouldn't send two with Thor to Asgard; Strange had suggested that both would be a bad idea, and despite his desire to get them off the planet, Tony had agreed.

Two in the same place would be a tempting target, after all. And they knew it, of course.

The conversation changed, then, as the tables that were set up for the food were suddenly beginning to become loaded as the kitchen staff and the conscripted helpers started bringing out the barbeque staples: potato salad, salad, pasta salad, chips, deviled eggs, roasted ears of corn on the cob and a myriad of other fare that was designed to feed a diverse crowd of guests all joined the meat that was being pulled off the grills and the drinks that had long been set into the mammoth ice coolers at the end of every table.

Stephen offered to go get Natasha something to eat, and she thanked him with a smile as she almost automatically looked to see how Peter was doing with the Pegasus. The boy was still being subjected to sloppy caresses – and she smirked, because she was sure the cloak wasn't too happy about being forced to share Peter any more than it already was.

"You know what would be fun?" Wong asked, also looking at the table where Peter was sitting – just in time to see a glistening white wing block their view of the boy, once more. "Peter riding that thing, with Mjolnir in his hand and the Cloak of Levitation flaring out behind him with the infinity stones in the glove on his other hand."

Tony rolled his eyes, and Thor scowled at the reminder that Tony's adopted son could wield his hammer. It was Pepper who spoke up, though.

"He'd fall on his head," she said, shaking her own. "And knowing our luck, the hammer would land on him and no one would be able to lift it off of him until we found Thor and brought him to help."

Tony nodded his agreement.

That sounded about right, really.


	130. Chapter 130

"You're not going to ask Tony to keep him, are you?"

Peter smiled at his friend and shook his head, but had to push the Pegasus's nose away from his cheek – again.

"No. He's a lot bigger than Nutmeg, and we definitely don't have any place to put him. Besides, it'd freak everyone out who didn't already know about Thor and the Asgard, and people would be swarming the compound to see him."

"True." She sighed and looked around. "I'm going to miss this place."

They were getting ready to go. Most of the Wakandans who had participated in the performance for Pepper's birthday had already left, through a portal Wong had opened for them. Peter knew T'Challa and his mother were getting ready to leave, as well, and they were taking Shuri back when they went.

"We're going to miss having you here," he assured her. "I will, especially."

Shuri smiled at that.

"Come help me carry my things?"

"Of course." The boy looked at Groot. "Distract this guy, will you?" he asked the young tree. "I don't think Nick would appreciate hoofprints in the corridors."

"I am Groot."

The boy patted the Pegasus's shoulder and then nodded. While Groot distracted the Pegasus the two teens made their escape through the closest door and Peter offered the princess his arm.

"I thanked you for saving my life?" he asked. "And my hand?"

She nodded.

"You did, but you did not need to. I did not thank you for saving the universe, did I?"

Peter shrugged.

"No. Of course not. That's different, though."

"It is the same, trust me."

They were silent as they walked, each simply enjoying the company of the other. When they reached Shuri's VIP room, the boy shook his head when they entered and he saw the state of the living room area. It was fairly messy; clothes were draped over the sofa, and folded but sitting on the coffee table. Several items that she'd collected in the short time that she'd been there were also stacked on every surface of the room; the table, the stand by the sofa, even the back of the sofa.

"Do you need more luggage?" he asked, amused that someone as tidy as she was could have made such a mess.

She smiled, too.

"No. It will fit. I just need to organize it."

The princess vanished into her bedroom and returned with two large suitcases and a smaller one that was already packed. That was the tech items; phone, tablet, laptop and the like. Peter would have packed that, first, and it was obvious that Shuri had the same priorities.

"Can I help?"

"Just keep me company – and do not allow me to become distracted."

Peter nodded and sat on the edge of the arm of the sofa, watching as she folded all of the jeans, t-shirts and blouses that she normally wore when she was in the states – but rarely wore back at home. Being a princess was a lot more formal than being a guest, after all.

"Did Sirah decide what she wants to do?"

"She did," Shuri replied, folding her Captain America shirt and neatly tucking it into the suitcase. "She wants to work with children, and as I am the youngest resident of the palace, she will be better able to do that at the orphanage."

"Steve will approve," Peter said, knowing that Rogers was going to go back to Wakanda for a day or so, just to see that the alien girl was settled in.

And to give Carol a chance to get a better look at the place.

"She will do well there, I think," Shuri agreed.

"If she needs anything, you can just call me," Peter told her.

"I will."

He hesitated.

"If _you_ need anything, you know that you can call me, too, right? I mean, I know you're a _princess_ and the whole country of Wakanda will come rescue you if you need to be rescued, but I would, too. Just saying…"

Shuri stopped her packing, and walked over and sat down beside him – close, because the arm of the sofa was only so big – and put her arms around him.

"You are a good person, Peter Parker. I am glad to be your friend."

He felt warm and gooey at that, and hugged her, close.

"I wish you lived closer."

"You can come visit, anytime."

OOOOOOO

"You're sure you want to do this?" Tony asked. "I mean, we don't want you to think that you _have_ to go there. It's a good opportunity and they are great people, but if you wanted to try something else, we could set that up, instead."

Sirah looked at the people standing in front of her, and smiled. Five of them; Tony and Pepper, Gamora and Peter Quill, and Steve Rogers. None of them were looking down on her because of her station in life – only because she was much, much, shorter than they were. And all of then looked sincere in their desire to make sure she wasn't doing something that she didn't want to do.

Which was amazing to her, and made her eyes sting, a little, with unshed tears.

"It is safe, though, right?"

"T'Challa is the ruler of his people," Tony answered. "You saw the demonstration that they gave? His country is filled with warriors like that. And there's a forcefield surrounding it, to boot. No one goes in or out without permission – and if they tried, the people will rise up before the invaders even knew what hit them."

"It is an amazing opportunity," Sirah said, looking at the Wakandans, who were waiting patiently for her – and Shuri, who hadn't returned from getting her things. "I am excited to learn more of your world."

"If you need anything, tell anyone," Quill told her. "If they can't get it for you, they'll let us know, and we'll get it."

The girl smiled.

"Thank you. You will be seeing my master?"

"Your _former_ master," Steve corrected. "No one owns you, now."

"Or ever will," Pepper added, kindly.

"We will be seeing the collector," Gamora said. "But we're not going to mention you – or where you are, now."

"For your safety," Quill added. "He's going to be more interested in getting his rock back than you, and we want to keep it that way."

"Thank you."

Tony nodded, caught sight of Peter and Shuri walking out of the building – with Peter loaded down with luggage – and he looked at Steve.

"You'll make sure she's set up before you leave Wakanda?"

"Of course."

Tony nodded and moved away from the group as the two teens walked over to where T'Challa and Ramonda were waiting with M'Baku and Azoru and the royal guard. Pepper walked with him, and they arrived just in time to hear Azoru ask the princess if she had left anything in the compound. Amusing enough, normally, but especially funny when you consider what kind of stiff-necked jerk Azoru once had been.

Peter smiled at their arrival, stepping back to allow the others to say their goodbyes to the Wakandans – and Shuri, specifically. He didn't actually get to hear what they said to her, since he was suddenly dealing with the cloak wrapping itself around his shoulder and head, and the Pegasus, which trotted up as soon as it noticed him and stuck its nose in his face.

The boy felt the cloak give a good-natured grumble in his mind and push the magnificent creature with a corner of fabric. The Pegasus was nonplussed and snorted its disapproval but stuck the soft nose right back into Peter's cheek, making the boy smile and press his hand against the white hide as he watched the others.

T'Challa walked over to him with Ramonda with him, and offered the boy his hand.

"It was good to see you, Peter."

"You, too, T'Challa. Thanks for letting Shuri come to help me."

"She is your friend," he replied. "Even if it were not her obligation to come, it would definitely have been something she wanted to do. I am glad it turned out so well."

"Me, too."

Ramonda hugged the boy, cheerfully, and Peter smiled, despite the annoyance of both the Pegasus and the cloak echoing in his mind at her taking his attention from them.

"Come for a visit, soon," she told him.

"When I'm done being grounded," he assured her, squeezing her as tightly as he could without hurting her. "Take care of these two."

The older woman gave him an amused look as they separated.

"I work on it every day," she told him with an air of great suffering. "And what do I have to show for it?"

"A brilliant daughter and a superhero son?"

"Do not let them hear you say that," Ramonda said. "But I _am_ very proud of them."

Peter laughed, even as Strange stepped up, noticing that everyone seemed to be ready to go – including Carol and Steve, who said a quick goodbye to Tony and Nick, reminding them that they'd be back in a few days.

"Are we ready?" T'Challa asked, looking at his sister more than anyone.

She nodded, and smiled at Peter but didn't hug him, again. Without another word, Stephen opened a portal and the Wakandans started toward it, with T'Challa gesturing to Sirah, politely, to join them. The girl looked over at Peter, momentarily, and then walked through the portal with the others.

Pepper walked over to stand by Peter, slipping her arm around him and ignoring the Pegasus, who lipped the paper crown she was wearing, curiously.

"You okay?" she asked him, softly.

"Yeah." He was, too. As well as he could be, anyway. And certainly unwilling to be morose and ruin her birthday. The boy smiled, looking at the winged horse. "What do you think dad would say if I asked him to build a barn in the woods out back?"

Pepper turned her head.

"Please tell me you're kidding…" Peter didn't say anything, but his amused expression was enough to make her worried one become amused, as well. She smirked. "Just make sure I'm around when you ask."

"Stephen told me that he'd give me a hundred dollars if _he's_ around, too."


	131. Chapter 131

"You've got to be joking…"

Peter allowed his eyes to become big and hopeful – not something he was good at doing on purpose, but it didn't matter, because it worked.

"He's not that big. He probably wouldn't take up too much space. Valkyrie could tell us what it needs to eat – and mom had a horse, right? She could help."

"You're allergic to horses."

"Not magical ones."

Tony looked over at Pepper, clearly wanting some help. She was carefully schooling her features, however; every skill she'd ever used to negotiate multi-billion dollar deals now keeping her from showing anything more than casual interest – and just the smallest amount of concern. It silently told Stark that he was on his own, this time. She had already played the bad guy – and it was her birthday.

"What would you do with him?"

"Well… at the moment I'm not allowed to drive," he reminded him. "I need some way to get from point A to point B."

"And you don't think a _flying horse_ would stand out?"

"Maybe a little," Peter conceded, leaning against the pristine white hide of the Pegasus's shoulder.

He was trying to keep his expression hopeful, but was having a little more trouble keeping from smiling at the look Tony was giving him. A look that alternated between the boy and the horse several times.

"Maybe a _lot_," Tony corrected.

Valkyrie smirked, not at all annoyed at the scene playing out in front of her. She was very much aware that the boy didn't truly want to keep the Pegasus. And that even if he _did_, the animal wouldn't stay on Earth. Despite the way it seemed to be enthralled with the boy in a manner that she'd never witnessed, before.

Peter smiled, finally unable to keep a straight face any longer, and Tony rolled his eyes, realizing, then, that the boy was playing him. He reached out and lovingly cuffed him on the back of the head, and Peter laughed. He could have avoided the blow; he'd seen it coming a mile away, after all, but it hadn't hurt, and he stepped into it, and felt Tony put his arms around him, roughly – although he was careful with that injured hand.

"A lot," he agreed. "And much more responsibility than I want to take on."

"Pepper could have helped, I suppose." Tony hugged Peter close for just a moment, and gave his wife – and Stephen – both a look. A look that was answered by twin expressions of innocence. Both had to know that he had probably not been too far from actually debating the whole ridiculous idea. Maybe letting the thing stay in a makeshift barn for a week or two, until Peter was better, and realized how little time he had to own a horse. Flying or otherwise. "She put you up to this? Or was it Stephen? Who am I going to have to thank for the newest gray hair that will almost certainly show up any moment?"

"What…?" Peter's expression was innocence personified as he stepped away. "I would never reveal my collaborators."

"Uh-huh." He shook his head, pleased at the good mood prevailing over the compound. The birthday barbeque had been a great idea – if he did say so himself. "Thor? You guys need anything?"

The god of Thunder smirked at the question. He and the Asgard had been around long before Tony Stark and the avengers, hadn't they? He shook his head, though, taking the question for what it had meant. A casual reminder of their friendship and the fact that they were, indeed, allies.

"We have all we need," he assured him, before turning to Pepper and pulling her into a hug. "Unless your wife wants to come grace our halls with her presence?"

Pepper laughed and hugged him, close.

"Not right now," she replied. "We still have things to do, here. And I have to work, tomorrow. Since you don't know how to forecast a business model into a billion-dollar company, I'm going to have to do it, myself. Thank you for coming, though. It was amazing. Your people are amazing."

He smiled as he let her go. He was proud of the people of his world, and liked it when they were complimented. Especially when it was by someone he respected so much.

"You are welcome."

Most of the Asgardians had already returned home. The earth was a nice place, and the food had been good (plain, really, but the good company had seasoned it enough to make it palatable) but they had things to do, themselves. Things that didn't have anything to do with Pepper's birthday. That had been more for Peter, really, in celebration of what he had done.

"Let me get the polymorph," Tony said, looking at Peter to make sure he didn't look too tired to deal with another one of the infinity stones. He looked fine. A little tired, of course, but that wasn't because of the day's events. "I'll be right back."

Strange looked at Thor.

"Do you have something to transport it in?"

The god frowned. He hadn't really thought of that, had he? He could touch the thing and survive – most likely – but he didn't really feel like dealing with the pain that it would still put him through.

"If you return me to Asgard I will bring a device."

"Here," Wong said, holding out his hand. "This will work."

It was a small chunk of vibranium with a hollowed center.

"Is that a polymorph?" Peter asked, curiously, stepping away from the Pegasus to look – much to the animal's disappointment.

"Similar. I haven't studied yours long enough to recreate it." The magician shrugged. "It will do to get the space stone back where it belongs"

"Thank you," Thor told him, taking it. He looked at Peter. "Is there anything that you need?" he asked, taking a page out of Stark's book, but certain he already knew the answer.

"I'm set," the boy replied. "Thank you, though." He looked at Valkyrie. "And thank you for letting me ride your flying horse."

The woman smiled, charmed by the boy – and allowing it to show.

"I did not allow it," she told him, truthfully. "If he didn't want to bear you, nothing I could say would make him. But you're welcome. When you come visit Asgard, next, send word and I will make sure to be available so you can have another ride."

Peter's eyes lit up at that.

"Thanks."

"Provided Loki is elsewhere," Wong added.

Thor nodded, noticing that Tony was returning.

"True."

No sense putting the boy too close to his brother, after all.

Vision had been sitting at a table talking to Natasha, Bruce and Wanda, as well as the guardians, but now all of them walked over to see the Asgardians off. Peter took off the brace that covered his hand, and then took the Wakandan creation from his father.

"Ready?" he asked Thor.

"Yes."

A moment later the polymorph shifted, and the space stone made an appearance. Thor moved the smaller container into position and the stone was dropped into the hollowed center.

"What will you do with the others?" Valkyrie asked, curiously.

"We're not sure, yet," Tony admitted, as Peter closed the polymorph once more and tucked it under his arm so Stephen could help him with his brace. "Get them off the planet as soon as possible."

"If you need anything, let us know," Thor told him, looking at Strange, to let him know they were ready.

He wasn't big on goodbyes, after all.

The sorcerer supreme stepped up and made sure everyone was clear, then moved his hand in a circle in the air. A moment later a large portal was formed and waiting to send them home.

Peter slapped the pristine white neck of the Pegasus, and then went to stand between Pepper and Tony. The horse whinnied a low noise as it left, following Valkyrie and Thor turned and looked around at the assembled Avengers before turning to Tony and Pepper and their son.

"Next time, we'll have the party in Asgard."

Then he left, and the portal closed behind him.

"That was fun," Tony said, slapping Peter's shoulder and taking the polymorph back. "I'm going to take this back where it belongs and I'll meet you guys inside."

"Yeah."

"What are we doing?" Pepper asked, curiously.

She had thought the day was done.

"We still have to have cake," Peter pointed out.

Among other things.


	132. Chapter 132

"You wouldn't have _really_ let him keep that thing, would you?"

Pepper shrugged, watching Peter, who was walking ahead of her and Stephen, chatting with Wong and Natasha as they headed back inside to gather once more at the lounge. No doubt talking about what he might spend the hundred dollar bill that Stephen had just given him on. The Cloak of Levitation was hitching a ride on the boy's shoulder, probably pleased that it didn't have to share his attentions with the flying horse any longer.

"He's pretty reasonable. I doubt that he would have genuinely asked to be allowed to have it. Not to mention, he's sensible enough to know that it's not the best place for a creature like that to be. It's much better off on Asgard, or wherever it lives, usually, than it would be here, and Peter would recognize that."

"He'd put what it needed before what he wanted, you're saying."

"You don't agree?" she asked, smiling as he held the door for her.

"Oh, I do. You guys definitely lucked out with that one, I think. Any other kid his age would probably be demanding expensive presents and designer apparel. Peter's pretty happy in jeans and t-shirts, I've noticed."

Pepper nodded.

"I think Tony would prefer that he was a little more demanding, just so he had more help when it came to buying him things. But you're definitely right. Any idea what they're planning now?"

The magician smirked.

"Even if I knew, I'd have been sworn to secrecy and wouldn't be able to tell you."

"So you're saying that you don't know?"

"I was in the loop on the Wakandan and Asgardian appearances because Tony needed help getting everyone here. They didn't ask me to bake your cake, so I'm not sure what's coming, next."

She shrugged; surprises were fun, too, she supposed.

OOOOOOO

The throne was still outside on the dais, so Pepper was able to seat herself in one of the regular chairs at the corner table. There were a few tables pushed together, which wasn't uncommon, and anther table under the far wall that was mostly empty but holding a stack of paper plates and forks, and it didn't take Pepper much to deduce that it was going to hold the cake that Peter and Stephen had both mentioned.

Peter wasn't at the table, just then, she noticed, looking around for him almost automatically as she seated herself. He was standing at the bar talking to Deena and to Bruce. Before she could wonder what they were talking about, Bruce suddenly transformed into the Hulk, and while Pepper was a little startled to see it happen, she was more surprised when she realized that the clothing that the scientist was wearing didn't rip as it normally did. A moment later the Hulk was gone, once more replaced by Banner, and the slacks and shirt that he'd been wearing once more fit him like a glove.

"Now we know what he's been working on," Natasha said, having watched the demonstration, as well. She was happy for her friend, and it showed. Of course, Pepper had noticed that Natasha looked extremely happy, lately, and had intended to corner her sometime soon to see if she could find out why. She just hadn't had a chance to do it, yet. "He's going to save a fortune on online shopping for pants and shirts."

"And shoes," Strange added, obviously impressed.

Tony walked into the room, then, before Pepper could reply. She smiled, because he didn't even mean to make an entrance, but he did. It was almost second nature to him, and he did it so well. He paused at the entrance to the room, automatically looking for Peter and then for her, and then waited as the large gathering noticed him and fell silent. Peter moved silently over to join Pepper at the table with the others, also watching Tony.

"Are we ready for cake?" Stark asked the room in general.

"I am," Peter replied, speaking up – as if on cue. "And ice cream."

That made many of them smile, no doubt remembering as Pepper was just how many times the toddler Peter had demanded cake sitting in this very room. _And_ ice cream. Tony smiled, too.

"Then let's get this party started."

Pepper looked at Peter with an eyebrow raised.

"We're just getting started?"

The boy smiled.

"It's a figure of speech. But, yeah. We still have things to do."

Before she could ask what things he meant, the lights in the room dimmed a bit and a motion at the entrance to the lounge's kitchen caught everyone's attention. If it wasn't the motion, maybe it was the four foot high multi-tiered cake that was being rolled out on a cart. It was round, and covered with white frosting and multiple colored flowers, and little buntings and edible confetti. So large, in fact, that the side of each tier held a single word, written in frosting and 4 inch letters.

"Happy Birthday Pepper."

"Come on over, birthday girl," Tony invited, gesturing to Pepper, who rolled her eyes but couldn't help the flush of pleasure that made her blush, slightly, as she stood up.

Everyone liked to be the center of attention, sometimes, after all – and it was very easy to get lost in Tony Stark's shadow most of the time. Even if he wasn't doing it on purpose. With Peter walking with her, she went to stand by the cake – in front of the table she'd noticed before. Tony hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Happy birthday, honey," he whispered in her ear, softly, before pulling away. "Ready, everyone?"

The lights came up a little as the group sang happy birthday to her, and then clapped, loudly. Now blushing almost furiously, despite herself, Pepper smiled at her friends and family, who were all watching her, expectantly.

"Thank you all, very much."

It was a short speech, but she didn't need to say more than that. Before anyone knew what was happening, previously unnoticed candles on each tier were suddenly lit, their gentle flames making the cake practically glow as white as the Pegasus's hide had been.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish," Peter said, moving a little so everyone could watch.

Pepper did as she was told, closing her eyes dramatically, holding the pose for a moment and then opening them and blowing out the candles, hoping as she did that they weren't the joke ones that would refuse to be extinguished. She wouldn't put it past Tony to do something like that, after all. They went out without issue, however, and she smiled and hugged her husband, and then her son, who kissed her cheek.

"What did you wish for?" Tony asked.

"She can't tell you," Peter told him. "Or it won't come true. Everyone knows that."

Pepper leaned into Tony, slightly.

"I didn't wish for anything," she whispered, softly enough that no one else could hear them – except maybe Peter with his incredible hearing. "I already have everything that I want."

OOOOOO

"They do this for every birthday?" Drax asked, looking slightly awed.

Peter Quill smiled, watching from the table he and the other guardians were sitting at. Out of the way, but still included in the festivities if they wanted to join in.

"They sing happy birthday," he confirmed. "And there is usually a cake and ice cream. I suppose from there it just depends on whose birthday it is – and who is doing the party planning. My mom used to make my cake every year. She made it into a big deal, even though there weren't a lot of us to celebrate."

Gamora smiled.

"We'll have to make it a tradition," she said. "Cake on everyone's birthday."

"I am groot."

"No, you don't have to be human to have a birthday," Quill assured the tree. "Just have to have been born, or hatched, or planted, I suppose."

"I would like a cake on my birthday," Drax announced, firmly, watching as the cake was transferred carefully from the cart over to the table, and several tubs of ice cream were produced to be served with it.

"And ice cream," Rocket added.

"We return that stone to the Collector, and we'll be eating cake every day," Quill reminded them, looking smug.

"That would not be very healthy," Mantis said, uncertainly.

Peter smiled.

"Fun, though."


	133. Chapter 133

"You two didn't bake this, I assume?"

Tony shook his head, ignoring Natasha's snort.

"We ordered it a month ago," he admitted. "And it took forever to decide exactly how it should look."

"They were terrible," Romanoff told Pepper, her expression amused as she looked at Peter and Tony. "First, Peter wanted it to be a millennium falcon shape – with butter cream frosting. Tony vetoed it and said it should be Stark Tower – covered in chocolate. Then they decided it should be a farm. And then the compound. I thought the woman at the bakery was going to start crying – either from suppressing her laughter, or because of some of the crazy ideas."

"They weren't crazy," Tony objected. "Just grandiose."

"The lady suggested we do something more elegant," Peter said.

"She took away all of the books that had any kind of characters, or vehicles, or anything movie related – or superhero related," Natasha added. "Just to make sure they didn't get any bright ideas."

Pepper smiled, reaching out and resting her hand on Tony's.

"It's wonderful. Thank you."

He looked smug and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"You deserve a hundred of them."

OOOOOOO

With such a large group and such a happy occasion, it was impossible for Peter and Tony to keep Pepper just to themselves, despite how much they might want to. As such, they didn't even try. Tony told Peter to go mingle and enjoy himself, and the boy went over to sit with the guardians, taking another piece of cake with him as he joined them.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked.

Tony had set up a casino royal for the people who were enjoying Pepper's birthday party. Complete with several different stations with different card games as well as other games, like roulette and craps. The money being wagered, lost and won wasn't real; but it was viable currency for a hundred small prizes that could be purchased from a vendor on the far side of the room. Things like gift cards for the most part, but treats, movies, some clothing items and a host of other things.

A stack of snack food packages sitting in front of Rocket and Peter Quill proved that the two of them had gone through the games available and had managed to win enough fake money to ensure they'd have sweets enough to last them until they could talk someone into driving them to the gas station for a refresh, sometime.

"It's pretty insane," Quill replied, looking around. "Do you guys do this for her every year?"

The boy smiled, reaching for Nutmeg, who had been climbing on Groot's head and looked ready to launch himself at any minute.

"It's my first year with them like this," he admitted. "I hope so, though. She's definitely worth it."

"Quill said it is common to present a person celebrating their birth with a gift," Mantis said.

"How does that work?" Rocket asked, curiously. "Do they judge the present by how many years the person has made it? A better gift each year? Or some other way?"

Peter shook his head.

"Basically, you just give them something to let them know you love them. Same with Christmas, and mother's day, or father's day. Pepper doesn't really need a lot of things, and there are a lot of people here who wanted to celebrate, so Tony and I didn't want anyone to think that they needed to give her anything – we got gifts for her, but no one else should. Just being here to celebrate with her is plenty."

"I am groot."

"Yeah. We're the ones getting the free stuff," Rocket pointed out. "All the food, and these presents and other things."

"We should save them," Drax said. "And use them for my birthday."

"No, guys," Quill said, shaking his head. "That isn't how it works. You don't need to save it. You are celebrating with them and it all starts fresh, each time."

"How does that work?" Rocket asked, looking confused. "We could just-"

"it's an Earth thing," Star Lord told them all. He looked at Peter. "Help me out here…"

"Yeah. It's an Earth thing," the boy agreed. That was safe; since as far as he knew from their reactions – as well as those of the Asgardians – no other people seemed to celebrate birthdays. "Just have a good time and enjoy yourself. That's how you make Pepper's birthday celebration a success."

"How's the head?" Gamora asked, allowing the subject to be changed.

Peter shrugged.

"I'm okay." The stitches were beginning to itch, which told him that they were healing. "It hurts a little, sometimes, when I bend over to pick something up and the blood rushes to my head, but other than that it mostly just aches a little."

"And the hand?" Peter asked, reaching over to rub Nutmeg's ears, causing the kitten to purr, loudly.

"It's getting better. Thanks."

"We're almost done refitting the Milano," he was told. "But before we take it too far, I thought I'd see what Tony thought about us flying it more locally; to the edge of the star system and back. Just to make sure the welds hold and the drive is online."

"You mean out in space?"

Quill rolled his eyes.

"Duh. Think your old man will let you come with us?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Why not? I mean, it'll be another day or two, so maybe lead up to asking for some time when he's not still pissed off about you screwing up and driving without the seatbelt."

"Wow. Thanks."

"Just don't throw up in the ship," Rocket requested – but those who knew him could tell the racoon liked seeing Peter excited by the prospect of going for a ride.

"I won't." Peter started to say something else, but he saw Tony gesturing for him. "I'll ask him, tomorrow…"

"Good."

The boy excused himself, taking the kitten, and Gamora frowned, looking at Quill.

"I thought Tony asked you if you'd be willing to take Peter on the test flight?"

"He _did_," Peter confirmed, looking smug. "But he didn't want Peter to know that it was his idea, since he doesn't want to look like he's rewarding him so soon after being so stupid."

"I wish I had a reward every time I did something stupid," Drax said. "I would have three rewards."

They didn't ask what circumstances he was referring to.

"We're taking his friend, too?"

"Maybe. There might be some motion sickness issues with the buddy and I'm not going to be cleaning puke out of the Milano for the next week."

OOOOOOO

Tony smiled when Peter joined him, Pepper, Natasha and Stephen at the table. He was holding Ironpig in his arms, and the piglet was wearing a purple sweater with gold trim, and still had the bowtie on.

"How do you feel?"

"Okay."

"Tired?"

"A little."

"We are, too," Stark admitted. "Pepper and I are going to call it a night and let the party continue on without us. Would you do me a favor and drop Ironpig in his pen before meeting us back at our quarters?"

"Yeah, of course."

Natasha reached for Nutmeg, freeing Peter to take the piglet. The assassin cuddled the kitten, cooing down at him.

"I don't want you staying up too late, tonight," Stephen told Peter. "It's been a long day, and you need to get some rest."

"Yeah. I will."

"The physical therapist is going to be coming by, tomorrow," Pepper said, standing up. "Do you plan on being there, Stephen?"

"For the first session, yes," she was told. "I want to see what regiment she intends to use. Afternoon?"

"Right."

"I'll be here."

"Mom and I are going to say our goodnights," Tony told Peter. "You can come back when we're done in our rooms, but don't gorge on too much more cake, got it?"

"I won't."

"I'll bring Nutmeg to your rooms, later," Natasha promised. "Or you can come find me, later."

Peter nodded and headed for the door with Ironpig. Stephen looked at Tony and Pepper.

"Keep an eye on him, tonight. Or, rather, have your AIs watch him."

"Why?"

"The birthday party thing," Strange replied. "Just in case the reminder of May's final party hits him in the middle of the night and he sleepwalks."

They both nodded.

"We will."

"And I'll check on him before I go to bed," Romanoff reminded them. "I need to return Nutmeg, after all."

"No cat hair in your bed?" Pepper asked, amused.

"I like to wake up and find my things where I left them the night before," she replied.


	134. Chapter 134

_A/N: Sorry about that ending of the last chapter. I'm not exactly sure where that 'I'm okay' came from! It's fixed, now, though._

OOOOOOO

The corridors of the compound were silent as Peter walked to the gym and took Ironpig's sweater off him (to make sure he didn't get too warmed in the already heated enclosure during the night). He smiled as he settled the piglet in the outside area of the enclosure and then turned on the small display that would play barnyard videos all night at a lot volume.

"You're getting pretty big, aren't you?" the boy told the pig, reaching down and scratching his ears. "Keep growing and Pepper'll have to make Tony take you to Jack and Gina."

The piglet didn't look too concerned. He made a soft squealing noise and wandered off, and Peter washed his hands at the sanitizing station that Pepper had had set up – just because – and then headed for Tony and Pepper's quarters, stopping at his own for just a minute to pick up a brightly wrapped package from the coffee table in his living room.

They were both there when he reached the door and was admitted by Friday, who alerted Pepper and Tony to his presence. Peter walked in and found them on the sofa, with Pepper once more wearing the paper crown from Burger King, although after a day of wear, and being nibbled by the Pegasus, and gnawed on by Nutmeg, it was looking a little ratty.

Pepper was planning on keeping it, however.

"Did you have a good day?" Peter asked, walking over and sitting on the coffee table in front of their sofa so he could look at both of them - although he was focused on Pepper, just then.

She smiled.

"It was perfect. Thank you."

"It isn't quite finished," Tony told her. "We still have presents."

"You two don't need to get me presents. You know that."

"We _want_ to, though," Peter said. "Besides, you deserve it."

She shrugged her acceptance; it was one of those ways that she couldn't say no to him – or to _Tony_, for that matter. Not when it came to something like this. Something that made _them_ far more happy than it did her, really.

"Well…" Pepper drawled. "Maybe I could see what you got me…"

Tony smiled at the way she said it, and the way Peter beamed when the boy stood up and pulled the small package out of his pocket.

"I didn't _get_ it," he said. "I made it. _Sort_ of."

"Yeah?"

He nodded and handed her the package, and Pepper smiled, because it was clearly wrapped by himself and not a professional somewhere. As she worried through several layers of wrapping paper that said happy birthday on it, and almost as much tape as paper, she tried to figure out what it was – all the while watching his excited expression. When she finally cleared the tape and paper, she found a small velvet covered box, about the size of a deck of cards.

"I didn't make the box," Peter told her.

Pepper looked at Tony, but his expression was a mix of amusement and a challenge, which actually told her plenty, even as she opened the lid of the box. Inside was a bracelet. It was made of what Pepper thought was probably hammered silver (and looking closely, she could see the marks made from the hammer) and then was dotted with tiny gemstones, of all colors and varying sizes. It was gaudy and bigger than anything she'd ever worn in her life, but he was watching her, expectantly, and she smiled when she pulled it out of the box to get a closer look.

"_You_ made this?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "It's all of the little stones that Shuri and I found in the vibranium mine when we were there. I had them cleaned and cut and polished – I didn't do that, because they would have ended up looking like pieces of sand – and then I made the settings and the band and put it all together. I thought about a little silver chain with them on it, but this stands out more, I think…"

"It definitely does," she agreed, leaning over and kissing his cheek before hugging him and looking over at Tony, who was smiling, with a slightly goofy expression on his face. "It must have taken forever to get them all on there. Thank you."

"You like it?"

"Of course I do," she assured him. "It's beautiful."

Peter beamed.

"You know, Pep," Tony interjected, taking the bracelet from her hand, and then putting it on her wrist with the ease of long-time practice. "We have the annual fundraising gala coming up next month. You could wear it, then…"

To her credit, she didn't even bat an eye.

"Good idea. I'll have to find a new dress to match it."

Tony smirked, and covered the expression by reaching around her and taking a box of his own and handing it to her.

"Speaking of rocks that we found in the mine in Wakanda…"

The package he handed her was much more formally wrapped, and the box was probably as expensive as all the tiny gemstones (real though they were) on Peter's bracelet were worth, combined. When she opened it, she found more jewelry. This time it was a pair of diamond earrings, with a sapphire pendant, that had a setting of smaller, brilliant diamonds around it, as well. It was suspended from a fine silver chain, with a backing that she recognized was almost certainly vibranium.

"Did you make this?" she asked him, knowing the answer before he even opened his mouth.

"I left it up to the professionals."

"He helped me with mine, though," Peter added, pleased at how happy Pepper was with their presents.

He hadn't considered jewelry, thinking that Pepper already had a lot of pretty things to wear, but Tony had pointed out that the stones were hand-picked from the trip to Wakanda, which would make them special because they were so personal, and because it would remind her of the fun they'd had that trip. And that day. When he put it that way, Peter had agreed and had set to, starting to research with Karen how to make jewelry and what the best kind of metal to make it out of might be.

"He did most of it, though," Tony assured her.

"I love them all," she told them, feeling a little weepy. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Peter smiled.

"I'm glad you like them. Happy birthday."

"It was," Pepper said. "The best one, ever."

"Until next year," Tony replied. "Then we'll have something bigger and better planned."

She took the bracelet off, and put it back in the box. Then put it with the one Tony had presented her with and set them on the coffee table, along with her paper crown. Peter surprised her by getting up.

"I'll see you guys in the morning," he told them.

"You're not staying?"

She had assumed that they would keep him in their quarters, watching a movie or playing games, or something, until he fell asleep – which would make it easier for them to keep an eye on him that evening. She'd have just had Tony cover him with a couple of blankets and kept him close, even if it was just on the sofa.

"I'm going to go help clean the lounge and see if there's any cake left." He rubbed his hand against the one with the brace, and she wondered if it was bothering him. "Besides, it's your _birthday_. You two should be allowed a little time just for the two of you."

"That isn't how the _family_ thing works, son," Tony reminded him. "We like spending time with you."

"I know. And I love it, believe me. But you guys don't have to keep me entertained all the time. I'll find something to do, tonight, so you two can spend time without me being in the middle taking _all_ the attention."

He was clearly sincere, and not at all distressed, and they could both tell. Pepper smiled and took his uninjured hand, pulling him down into her lap, even though he filled it completely and spilled over into Tony's, as well. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him, and kissed his cheek.

"Fine. Go do something else. But if you need anything…"

"I'll cry for mom and dad, immediately," he assured her, smiling. He stayed still for just a moment, soaking up the loving and feeling the toddler inside squeeing in happiness at being cuddled like he was being just then. Then he forced himself out of those loving arms. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Don't make yourself sick with too much cake," Tony added.

"I won't."

"And save me a slice in the fridge, or something."

"Probably won't be any left," Peter pointed out as he headed for the door.

"Good night, son."

"Night, guys."

Peter left, and Tony shook his head, looking at his wife.

"That was considerate."

"Yes. Of course, you're going to have Friday keep an eye on him, anyway, right?"

"Of course."


	135. Chapter 135

_The scene was straight out of some kind of epic nightmare._

_The sky was black, proving that it was late at night, but the spotlights and the soft glow from the shields every time something attempted to breach them and died gave more than enough light for the scene below to be clearly visible. The view was from the roof of the compound, and it was the battle. The Battle of the Compound, as some were calling it for lack of anything more descriptive._

_Massive pillars slamming to the ground and releasing swarms of enemies of all shapes and sizes, only to be met by an army of defenders; Wakandans, Asgard and human, all standing ground and meeting the challenge. The screams of the dying were met with the roar of challenge from a hundred different throats, wile others simply fought silently, flashes of brilliant lights here and there giving proof that the sorcerers were also doing what they could to keep the attackers from overwhelming the defenses._

_Then the monster arrived and everything else faded._

_Towering well over them, he met the three with contempt. Tony Stark met him, calmly. Heroic in every way, outwardly, and if he was scared, it didn't show._

"_You have only one thing that I want. Give him to me and I'll make your end quick. Make me take him and I'll make sure that you're the last person on this stupid, little, stubborn, world to die."_

_The scene unfolded. Reliving the challenge Thanos made. The reply. The contempt the massive titan showed at Stark's stupidity at allowing him anywhere near the boy. Now he was going to take him. Kill him if he had to or use him if he could. Whatever it took to rule the universe and destroy half of everyone in it._

_Peter stirred in his sleep, but didn't wake. He knew what was coming, then, because it was him. He was coming. The memory wasn't his; he thought that it was from Clint's point of view, to judge by the way he could see both Tony in his Ironman suit, and Pepper in the Rescue suit, but he saw Thanos strike the blow, and watched as it didn't land – held in place by the sudden tangle of webbing and the strength of the black-clothed figure behind him._

"_Clyde…"_

_The mask retracted, and Peter saw himself. Even in his sleep he thought he looked terrible. Despite the pain that had him so pale and pinched, there was determination._

"_I am… and you're Thanos."_

"_I am. Don't be foolish, boy. You can't handle the power of the stones. They're killing you. Give them to me. Let me take that burden of the universe from you…"_

"_They're mine…" Peter told the titan, taking the final stone and joining it with the others. "The universe is mine."_

_He went to his knees as the pain overwhelmed him. Stayed there for a long time, while the others on the roof watched, forced into stillness by the power that flowed through Peter._

"_You're incredible, boy… The stones are the most powerful force in the universe, and they are in your grasp – literally. But the responsibility is too much for someone without the experience to understand what needs to be done. Don't you agree?"_

_Peter's reply had been silent defiance; he was still looking distracted, but his attention was definitely on the alien in front of him, threatening him – and then, suddenly, making the incredibly stupid decision to turn the weapon in his hand toward Pepper._

"_Give me the stones, Clyde, or I'll kill-"_

_The weapon vanished in an instant, becoming a balloon. Thanos turned back to the boy, who was standing, defiantly, his hand up and pointed at the titan. The hand clenched and everyone could feel the sudden power building around them._

"_Suck my fat one, you cheap dime store hood…"_

_Before Peter could cringe – even in his sleep – at the awful one-liner (and why hadn't anyone told him what he'd said?) – he watched as he snapped his gauntleted fingers, and the world was suddenly bathed in a brilliant light that emanated from the boy and devoured Thanos without a sound, and then spread from the roof of the compound and continued to spread, even beyond like a wave of light that showed no sign of stopping. For a long moment, Peter stood, focusing the power, until as he watched, he collapsed, lifelessly onto the roof._

_Peter sat up with a start, looking around his bedroom as the dream faded. Only his quick reflexes – even more asleep than awake – and a pawful of sharp claws dug into his shirt – kept Nutmeg from tumbling from his chest where the kitten had been sleeping. His orange and cream fur was now puffed up on all sides, startled into defensive mode by the sudden motion._

"_Easy…"_

"What in the world?"

"_Just a dream," _Alec assured him._ "Not even a nightmare, really."_

"No." It hadn't been scary. Just a dream, like the alien said. He lay back down, refusing to use it as an excuse to go find Tony and Pepper's bed and mooch some cuddling from them – even though he could feel the toddler demanding that he do just that. "That was odd. It wasn't even _my_ memories."

"_I noticed." _If the ancient sorcerer sounded a little confused, Peter didn't really notice. He was too busy stroking Nutmeg's fur to get it to lay flat, again. The kitten purred, and settled back into his nap, while Peter continued to stroke him, but closed his eyes, and tried to relax_. "You're alright."_

"Yeah. I'm good…"

He was, too. And relaxed enough, despite the dream, that he went back to sleep only a few minutes after Nutmeg did.

_This time the memories were his own, and the dream wasn't quite as chaotic – although it was more of a nightmare for Peter than all of the aliens attacking the compound could have been._

_He was in his living room, and MJ was on the display in front of him. She looked annoyed._

"_Are you going to tell me what happened to it?" she asked him._

"_I-"_

_The hesitation had been his downfall, and he could see it in her expression._

"_Don't bother. I'd rather not know at all if you're not going to tell me the truth."_

"_I wasn't going to lie to you," he told her. "I just don't know how to describe it. Or if I can."_

_The memory of the snap, and the power coursing through his entire body, but culminating in his arm and hand were painful, but he didn't have time to dwell on it._

"_Does Ned know?"_

"_No."_

"_Does Shuri?"_

"_No. It's just that-"_

"_It's just that you have yet another secret that you're hiding from me – causing yet another injury that I need to worry about."_

"_You don't have to worry about me, at all. Everyone else does plenty of that. I'm fine. The bandages will come off, and I'll have some physical therapy and it'll be good to go."_

"_Until the next time you o something stupid and hurt yourself trying to be a hero."_

"_I'm not trying to be a hero. And I didn't do anything stupid to hurt myself."_

"_Whatever, Peter."_

"_Why did you call me if you're just going to bitch at me?"_

_The argument went on, and it deteriorated, quickly, until the call ended, leaving Peter frustrated and angry. He steamed for a moment, then got up and grabbed up his car keys._

"_I'm going for a drive."_

Peter started awake, again, well aware what was coming, next, and lurched to his feet, stopping only long enough to pick up his cat.

OOOOOOO

"_Peter's coming."_

They weren't surprised, really, and neither had allowed themselves to sleep too deeply, aware of the possibility that the boy might need them. Tony sat up, just as he heard the outer door to their quarters open and Pepper had pulled the blanket back just as their bedroom door opened, silently. A moment later their son was crossing the room, wearing a pair of sweats and holding Nutmeg. Tony took the kitten from his, smoothly, as the boy climbed into their bed, taking his place between them and turning to cuddle against Pepper's side with a soft sob.

"Shhh…" She covered him – and them – and put her arms around him, pressing a kiss against his cheek as she looked over at Tony, who shrugged and settled Nutmeg back on the bedspread, glancing at the stand beside the bed, automatically, to double-check what was there and if any of it was going to break if it was knocked off the stand in the middle of the night. "It's alright, sweetheart…"

"I'm sorry…" he whispered into her shoulder.

What he was sorry for, they didn't find out, just then. Held between them, warm and very much loved, Peter was comforted, now, and went back to sleep.

Pepper looked over at Tony, who smiled, despite his sudden arrival. He loved her so much, and loved the fact that Peter sought her for comfort when he needed it.

"We'll find out what happened, tomorrow," he whispered. He put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "He's not shaking, so it's probably just the birthday thing."

"Dr. Bird is coming Friday – in the morning."

"Good." He leaned over Peter so he could kiss her cheek. "Go back to sleep, honey."

She did – and then Tony did, too.

OOOOOO

To the south of the compound MJ and Ned were both laying awake in their own rooms, staring at their ceilings, and unlike Peter, they were both wide awake.


	136. Chapter 136

"Is he awake, yet?"

Tony shook his head, looking down at the boy sleeping in the bed beside him. He was dressed and ready for his day; a pair of jeans and a couple of layered t-shirts, and was simply sitting in the bed to keep an eye on Peter while Pepper showered and dressed. They had their routine down to a pattern by then; one would stay with him when he joined them in their bed – to make sure he didn't wake up alone – while the other dressed, and then they'd switch off. Right now, it was Tony sitting with him, one hand on Peter's shoulder, while the other held the phone he was reading emails with.

"He's beginning to move around, though." The billionaire smiled when he watched her put earrings on, and then the bracelet that Peter had made her. "That doesn't really go with your outfit…"

She was dressed for the tower; a slim, peach-colored dress and knee high boots that Tony loved to see her in – they made her legs just keep going, and he was all for that, any day of the week.

"It goes with everything," Pepper disagreed, smiling. "Except cat hair…" she added, reaching down to take her paper crown away from Nutmeg – again.

_Peter_ was asleep, but his kitten had been awake as long as they had. Like the lounge and Peter's room, they kept a supply of food and necessities for Nutmeg available for just this situation, and Tony had fed the little guy before he had a chance to get too rambunctious in his quest for breakfast. Now instead of knocking things off shelves and other furniture, Nutmeg was trying to steal that which didn't belong to him.

As usual.

"Are you about ready for breakfast?" Tony asked her, taking the crown from her and setting it on the shelf above their headboard without looking away from her.

"Yes." She smiled down at their sleeping son, brushing her fingers along his cheek. "Do you wake him, or should I?"

The touch was all it took, though.

With a sleepy noise, Peter shifted and opened his eyes, looking up at first Pepper and then Tony. They both watched as he looked around, and saw in his expression when he realized where he was.

"Good morning," Tony told him, setting his phone aside, but never taking his hand from Peter's shoulder. "How do you feel?"

Peter closed his eyes, again, and reached unerringly for Pepper's hand, holding it and cuddling against her – telling them without words that he wasn't completely awake, just yet, but that the _toddler_ might be.

"Sleepy." He sighed, but didn't open his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"We're not," Pepper assured him, leaning over and pressing a kiss against his cheek, smiling at Tony as she did. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yes. Well… no, it wasn't scary or anything. Just dreamed about Thanos – and then the fight I had with MJ."

Upsetting, then, but not a nightmare.

"We're getting ready to have breakfast. Are you hungry? Or do you want to go back to sleep?"

"I have to go to the lounge and be the helper."

"Do it at lunch," Tony suggested. "There isn't a set time, right?"

"No."

"How much cake did you have before you went to bed?" Pepper asked as he finally sat up, rubbing his face, sleepily.

"Two pieces."

"What else did you have?" Tony asked, winking at his wife, amused.

"Ice cream and some chips."

No wonder he was having crazy dreams.

"Peter…" Pepper rolled her eyes, disapprovingly, brushing her fingers through his hair. "That's probably not the best bedtime snack."

"Clint dared me."

"And you _let_ him? What am I saying? Of _course_ you did. How's the stomach?"

"I'm fine." And now he was awake, as well. He shook his head. "I'm so dumb. Coming to you guys like this every time. Doctor Bird probably has a medical phrase for it…"

"It's called cuddling with mom and dad," Tony told him, affectionately. "And we like it that you need us."

"I'm a little old for it."

"If you're doing it when you're _thirty_, we'll start to worry," Pepper added. "But you're young, and Tony's right; we love the fact that you know you have somewhere to go if you need to be held."

And they'd already made sure that Doctor Bird knew it. Luckily, the psychologist wasn't too concerned about the boy's nocturnal wanderings, either. He knew Peter's past – some of it, anyway. And he'd probably learn even more, soon.

Peter just shrugged, knowing that it wasn't an argument that they'd have with him because they both meant what they were saying. They did love him, and they didn't mind that he joined them in their bed. He was bemused when Alec added his own two cent's worth.

"_Good thing they don't really want to make an heir,"_ the ancient sorcerer said, amused. _"You're the ultimate birth control, ending up in their bed at any time."_

The boy shook his head, but he was amused, too – rather than be appalled at the thought that he really was probably keeping them from being as close as they would prefer. He wondered if he should send them off for a weekend getaway without him.

"_They wouldn't go,"_ Alec told him. "_Not right now. It's a good idea, though."_

"Go get dressed," Tony told him, breaking into the silent conversation without realizing it. "Then meet us in the lounge and we'll make sure momma has a good breakfast before we send her out to make us more millions."

"Okay."

He hugged Pepper, first, and then Tony, picked up his kitten – after taking Tony's wallet away from him – and headed for the door.

"He looks alright…" Pepper said, softly, as they heard the door close behind him.

"He's fine, Pep. It wasn't even the birthday thing like we expected. Just Thanos."

She rolled her eyes.

"_Just_ Thanos?"

Like that was something to feel better about.

Tony clearly thought it was, though, because he smiled, checking his wallet for puncture marks from Nutmeg's claws and teeth.

"If it'd been me, I'd probably have bad dreams about it, too." He had actually had a nightmare or two about how badly things could have turned out, but Pepper's solid presence beside him had soothed _him_ as much as it did Peter. "Bird can talk to him about it. He'll be fine."

"And the MJ thing?" she asked.

"Ugh. A teenaged girl? There aren't enough shrinks in the world to solve that problem."

Pepper smiled and offered him her hand, feeling better – as he'd obviously meant for her to feel.

"I was a teenaged girl, once."

"I'm glad I didn't know you, then," Tony told her, smirking, and tucking her arm into his to walk her out the door. "You were probably way too good for the teenaged boy that I was."

"Oh, I was."

OOOOOOO

"You look tired."

Ned looked up from his phone, saw MJ sitting herself across from him and nodded.

"I am. Was up late last night."

She frowned.

"So was I."

"What were you doing?" he asked, curiously, glancing back at his phone and then setting it down with a sigh.

"Had a weird dream."

The boy raised an eyebrow.

"Was it about Peter?"

MJ frowned.

"Maybe. Why?"

"Because I dreamed he was on the roof of the compound with a scene out of World War Z going on around them and a big purple guy that kept calling him Clyde and threatening to kill everyone."

"Thanos."

Ned's eyes widened.

"How did you know that?"

"That's what I dreamed, too. Peter was wearing a black suit, and had a glove with some bedazzles on it, or something, and snapped his fingers."

"And the light came."

"Yeah." She frowned. "How did you and I have the same dream? That's scary."

"Not as scary as that Thanos guy. Holy shit. I can't believe he thought Tony was going to let him threaten Pepper without doing anything…"

"But it was Peter who killed him."

"Yeah. And all those aliens, too. I wonder if that's what happened to his hand?"

"Snapping his fingers too hard?"

Ned scowled at the sarcasm.

"Light creates heat, MJ. I know thermal dynamics aren't your specialty, but I imagine you've changed a hot lightbulb, before. That much light should have fried him."

"I know…" She hesitated. "What else did you dream about?"

He knew what she meant, immediately, and he shrugged.

"Just the mess he made of the Pontiac."

"And why…?"

"Yeah."

"I tried to call him, this morning," MJ told Ned. "But it went to voicemail. He's pissed at me and probably ghosting me."

"He's grounded. Tony took his phone away. I emailed him, earlier – he still has access to the net and everything, just not his phone – but he didn't respond, yet."

"Think he's alright?"

Ned nodded.

"Of course he is. He has the Avengers to watch out for him – and Pepper and Tony to make sure he's safe."

"I wish I could talk to him."

"Good luck with that. I'm going out on Friday, I'll tell him to email you, if you want."

"You're going to the compound?"

"Yeah. It was set up, before he got grounded, and Tony didn't say anything has changed." She looked annoyed, and Ned held up a hand to stop her before she could say anything. "Before you get jealous, I'm his best friend, and I'm a _guy_. I can go out there, because my mom doesn't have to worry about my virtue, being around a teenage boy like your folks have to. Although if _Natasha_ even dropped the slightest of hints…"

"You'd turn beet red and run away…"

She lost the annoyed look, probably seeing the truth in what he'd said.

"What? No way."

MJ shook her head, but before she could say anything, the bell rang, and the once quiet room was suddenly bustling. The girl picked up her books.

"When you see him, tell him to email me, would you? I just want to make sure he's okay."

"Yeah. Sure."


	137. Chapter 137

"Your physical therapy appointment is at ten o'clock," Pepper reminded Peter – and Tony – as they ate breakfast. "I want one of you to call me and tell me what you find out."

"Peter will call you," Tony assured her.

She'd want to know how he felt, anyway, and the boy could answer that question much better than he could, now couldn't he?

"Yeah. I'll call you," he promised.

"What else are you guys going to do today?" Pepper asked, curiously.

Tony looked at Peter, who shrugged. He didn't have anything planned – although he was sort of hoping that the guardians would let him gawk at their spaceship.

"I was thinking we might take a look at the Pontiac," the billionaire replied when Peter's response told him that he was open to anything. "See what we need to do to start getting it back into shape."

The boy nodded, his expression a mixture of distress and hope. Distress because of the damage that he'd done to something that meant so much to him, and hope because if anyone could fix it, Tony could.

"That would be great. Thank you."

Pepper smiled at her guys, but forced herself to not reach out and cup Peter's cheek with her hand. He'd probably misread the gesture and think she was babying him, but she just wanted to make him lose the hurt in his expression.

"Make sure he doesn't do too much, Tony," she told her husband. "I don't want him undoing all the good progress he's making…"

Peter rolled his eyes, good-naturedly, at the admonishment, which had been Pepper's intent. It was babying, she knew, but permissible, this way.

"We'll be careful, momma," Tony assured her, smiling.

OOOOOOOO

They didn't leave the garage once they saw Pepper off. He and Tony walked over to the Pontiac, leaving the door of the garage open to allow the daylight in – although the artificial light was helpful, as well. Peter shook his head, mournfully at the damages to the car, but Tony popped the hood and put on his glasses, engaging Friday, as well, as he looked it over.

"It's not so terrible, son," he told the boy, as the AI went through the engine compartment, looking for anything out of line. "Friday says the engine itself is fine. A couple of hoses that will need replaced, the radiator and the wiper fluid reservoirs are done for – but those are easy to find. I'll order new ones, today."

"Make sure you take it out of my bank account, though," Peter said, running his hand along the dent in the driver's side fender. "I wrecked it; I should pay for the replacements."

"Fair enough." Tony was still looking through the damages. "We'll need a new grill, new chrome, headlights on both sides and the hood can probably be repaired. The fender isn't too bad – that's where the deer hit you."

"He hit pretty hard," Peter said.

"They're tough, though," Tony reminded him. "They have to be to fight for the girls every year, right?"

"Yeah."

That was a good point.

"Come on," the billionaire said, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Lets go see what we're going to need to start rebuilding and repairing."

He still wasn't particularly pleased about the wreck of the Pontiac, but it would be a good way for him to spend a fair amount of time with Peter in the near future, so that was always a good thing.

OOOOOO

The physical therapist was a man that Peter already knew. He was one of the regular doctors assigned to the compound – a general surgeon, but one who specialized in physical therapy, as well. He wasn't a military doctor like a few of them once had been – or still were – but had once had his own practice in Miami, before the allure of working with Earth's mightiest heroes had drawn him back to New York.

Even better, Doctor Franklin already knew how the hand was injured, and didn't need to be filled in on any of Peter's special circumstances, since he already knew them all – and the boy was already comfortable with him.

When Tony and Peter showed up in the medical room at the prescribed hour, the doctor was waiting for them, and sat Peter on the edge of the bed, while he took a rolling stool and pulled up close to start taking the brace off.

"The hand looks really good, all things considered," Franklin said, mostly to Tony, who was hovering, worriedly. He turned it over looking at the palm, and had Peter move his fingers, first, and then the wrist. "We know you're stronger than most," he added. "So we're not going to be able to judge if there's any lack of strength by any other means than just your own perception of it," he added.

"Okay."

The doctor offered the boy his hand.

"Squeeze my hand – and _don't_ crush my fingers, okay? I'm going to need them later."

Peter smiled at that and did as he was told, careful not to apply too much pressure, but watching the doctor, who nodded.

"How much does it still hurt?"

"It aches a bit," the boy admitted.

"You're doing too much with it," the doctor told him. He looked up at Tony. "No more kitchen helper," he said. "Not until it's stronger."

Tony nodded, but gave his son a look when Peter smiled.

"You're still going to _do_ it," he said. "Just not right now."

"I know."

Franklin smiled at the exchange.

"We'll exercise the hand plenty, I assure you." He handed Peter a racquetball and told him to squeeze it. "Feel that?"

"Yes."

"I want you to carry the ball everywhere with you. When you're not busy, or not using your hand, work the ball a ten count, give it a rest, and then another ten. Several times a day."

The doctor looked at Tony and at Peter, to make sure they were in agreement. Both nodded.

"What else, Jeremy?" Stark asked.

"Swimming will strengthen the hand and the arm," he replied, making a motion with his own to prove that the action would include both the hand to propel the water and the arm to guide it. "The stitches can be covered with an adhesive bandage while he's in the water to keep them from getting too wet."

"You don't think it'll be too much?"

"No. Peter's young and healthy." He gave the boy a pointed look. "And if he starts hurting, or aching, he's smart enough to stop and tell someone so we can back things off a little until he has more strength in the hand. Right?"

The boy nodded.

"Yes."

"Good. Keep the brace on whenever you're not swimming or working the ball – for now. You don't need to sleep in it, though."

"Thank you."

It was the doctor's turn to nod.

"You're welcome. You both know where to find me if there are any concerns."

Tony felt a bit of relief, despite the fact that Peter's hand had looked pretty good to him, too. He patted the boy's back.

"Go call mom and let her know. And then find something to do and stay out of trouble for a while. I'll meet you for lunch in the lounge at one."

"All right." He waited just long enough to get the brace back on, then picked up the ball and left the medical room. "I'll see you, later."

Tony waited until he was gone, and looked at the doctor.

"Anything Pepper and I should be worried about?"

"It looks remarkably good, Tony," the doctor told him, honestly. "I'll want to see him a couple of times a week, for now, but it doesn't have to be anything formal. I'll just happen to run into him in the lounge, or in the pool, and take a look at it, there."

"You'll tell Pepper that, too?"

"Of course."

OOOOOOO

"Are you busy?"

"_Of course not."_

He gave her a look. There was a small crowd of well-dressed men and women in the background of the video call.

"Really?"

Pepper smiled.

Touché.

"_Not too busy for you, sweetheart. Did you learn anything?"_

"I'm supposed to squeeze this rubber ball a lot, and do some swimming every day."

"_That makes sense."_

Peter nodded.

"And I can't be Deena's helper, yet. He said he doesn't want me using the hand like that."

Now it was Pepper's turn to give him a look.

"_Did you pay him to say that?"_

The boy laughed, loving it when she bantered with him like she did so often with Tony.

"Of course not." He saw a couple more people in the background turn her direction, and one of the older men looked a little impatient. Peter shrugged. "I'd better let you get back to whatever I interrupted."

"_Thank you for calling me, sweetheart."_

"You're welcome. Love you."

Her smile was soft.

"_I love you, too."_

The video call ended, and Peter leaned back in the sofa with a sigh, wishing that he had his phone. Yes, it had been a call, but it wasn't on his phone – since Tony had officially taken it away from him. No apps, no calls, not even the time of day. Of course, he didn't _need_ all of that, but it was a comfort to have that little piece of technology in his hand. He wondered what Ned was doing, and glanced at his watch. He'd be having lunch.

With MJ?

He wondered if she was still mad at him, and looked around, getting up and then walking into his bedroom to find his laptop. He'd send Shuri and Ned an email and let them know what the physical therapist had said about his hand. They'd want to know. He wouldn't tell MJ, though, as much as he wanted to. She probably didn't want to hear anything about what was going on with him.

He could send her a message, though, anyway. Just to say hello?

Peter sat down on his bed and opened the laptop. It booted up quickly and he was surprised to see that he had a few emails waiting for him. Not _spam_, either; Karen cleared all incoming spam messages, automatically, which he liked. It saved him the trouble of sorting through things that he didn't need to look at, and a lot of ads for products that he didn't want. Three emails from Ned, all from that morning, and one from Shuri – who would (or at least _should_) – be asleep. He opened Ned's first one, which had been ridiculously early, he noticed. Almost 3am. Wondering what his friend was doing up that late (or early) he was surprised to find a very short message.

'_Hey, Peter. I just had the weirdest frakking dream, dude. Email me when you get this. I want to make sure you're okay.'_

He didn't reply. Not with two more waiting to be read. Instead, he opened the next one – which was from right before he would have left for school – or maybe while he was on the bus on his way there.

'_Are you sleeping in, or what? I know Tony took your phone, but you still have email. That dream was crazy. Hit reply, will you?'_

Peter smirked. He didn't check his laptop very often, and he knew he should. Ned was going to kill him for making him wait so long. He wondered what the crazy dream had been about, and why Ned hadn't already told him. The guy was lightning fast with his thumbs and Peter had actually seen him use his phone to write out essays before when he'd slacked off and had forgotten that an assignment was due until the last minute. He could have told him.

The next email made him lose the smirk, though, and his eyes grew a little uncertain – while his eyebrows vanished into his hairline.

'_Okay, seriously. I had this dream about some huge bad-ass named Thanos threatening to kill you and everyone else, and I just talked to MJ and she had the same dream. What the hell is going on? Talk to me, will you? Hit the reply button before my head explodes. Mom wants to know what the physical therapy guy says and MJ said to tell you to email her. I think the dream thing freaked her out, too, but you know how hard it is to tell with her, sometimes."_

"Shit…"


	138. Chapter 138

Peter chewed on his thumbnail as he watched Tony, who was holding his laptop and reading the emails Ned had sent. The billionaire's expression was hard to read, just then, and Peter was nervous, worried about yet another crazy thing happening – and worrying Tony, and probably everyone else as soon as this got out.

"So tell me again what you dreamed about," Tony told him, looking over at him and setting the laptop aside.

"I dreamed about being on the roof and the last part of the battle with Thanos. The part with the light."

"The final snap?"

"Yeah."

"And you didn't mention Thanos' name to Ned when he was here – or any other time you spoke with him?"

"I don't think so." He shook his head, still chewing on the nail. "I _know_ I didn't mention him to MJ. I wouldn't have told her anything."

"Don't look so worried," Tony told him, reaching out and ruffling his hair, trying to make the boy lose the ever-present concerned expression. "It's not a big deal."

"It isn't?"

Tony shrugged.

"We can figure that it's not a coincidence that your best friend is dreaming the same dream you had, right? A dream that just happens to have told him what happened to you. I'm sure _you're_ not somehow projecting it, so I'm going to assume that the mind stone has something to do with it. Maybe it's decided that you're worried about who you can tell and who you can't – and it just decided to let Ned and MJ know what happened to you, rather than allowing you to be worried about it."

"Yeah…?"

"Why not? The stupid thing is always sticking its nose into your wellbeing, right?"

"Yes."

"That's probably what happened, then."

"What do we do about it?" Peter asked. "They know."

"Ned knows some of it, anyway, though," Tony reminded him. "He didn't know what _caused_ the light, but he knew you had something to do with it – you had him go to the safehouse to watch Sirah, after all. Don't tell him anything, but when he comes out this weekend, we'll sit him down and talk to him. He can be let in on things, to a _point_ – we already know he can keep a secret."

"What about _MJ_?"

"Let me think about it. And talk to mom. For now, don't tell her anything about the dream – don't confirm or deny." Tony made a face. "Which is hard for you, I know – especially since she doesn't like you keeping secrets from her. It isn't that we can't trust her – she knows you're Spiderman, after all, and hasn't told anyone. But this is a bit bigger, so we'll hold off. Her, or _anyone_ else."

"What _do_ I tell her?"

"You're grounded from your phone," he was reminded. "You don't _tell_ her anything. If you send her an email just keep it simple. Tell her about your hand, or the car – since she knows about them."

"Okay."

"Feel better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Tony smiled, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder. He'd been concerned when the boy had asked Karen to relay to Friday that he was needed. He'd come running, a myriad of terrible things running through his imagination. Not surprisingly, it was an oddity (which wasn't uncommon where the Avengers or Peter were concerned) but it wasn't the calamity that he'd been worried about.

"Send your emails and I'll meet you for lunch when you're ready."

"Okay."

"Remind Ned that Pepper is picking him up from school Friday."

"I will."

Feeling a lot better and very much relieved, Peter took his laptop back and waited for Tony to leave before sending off the email to Ned. The one he sent to MJ wasn't very long, and didn't mention dreams.

OOOOOOO

"Huh. That's interesting."

Stark rolled his eyes.

"You could say that. What should we do about it?"

"What did you tell Peter?"

"Not to worry about it. Ned already knew about the light – and he knew about the wreck."

"How?"

Stephen knew about Peter brining Ned to watch over Sirah, so Tony knew he was asking about the wreck of the Pontiac.

"Friday told me that he hacked Dr. Thompson's personal files and read about the additional damages to the hand and how they were obtained."

"And you're okay with that?"

Tony shrugged.

"The kid's a genius. Short of telling him to stop – which he probably wouldn't do – there isn't much I can do about it, really. Other than keep track of what he's doing."

"Well, I suggest you follow your own advice and not worry too much about it, just now. Ned's a solid enough fellow – he's loyal to Peter and can keep the secrets needed."

"And MJ?"

Strange shrugged.

"No clue. If it were me, I'd keep her in the dark. Not because she's a teenaged girl, but because she's stressing Peter – and will continue to do so, either way. If she knows what's going on she'll be worried about him, or complaining about him doing dangerous things. If she doesn't know, then she'll be complaining about not knowing. Either way, she can cause him mental anguish that I'd prefer he not deal with. Might as well keep a lid on the facts and keep her away from him for the rest of his convalescence. That'll give you guys time to decide what she learns – if anything."

"Huh. I agree."

"Because I'm sensible."

Tony rolled his eyes, but he appreciated the advice. Which had been the whole reason for calling him.

"I'm going to meet him for lunch. Interested?"

"No. I'm working on some research with Wong. Thank you, though."

"Anything interesting?"

"It's always interesting, Tony, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it. Need anything else?"

"No. Thanks. D&D this weekend, since Ned's coming out."

"Now that I _am_ interested in. I'll be there."

The call ended and Tony headed for the lounge to meet his boy and have some lunch. Then he thought he'd see if Peter wanted to start working on tearing down the Pontiac. That would give him a feeling of accomplishment – and that was only a good thing.

OOOOOOO

Both of her guys were waiting for Pepper when she arrived at the compound. She pulled into the garage, parking next to the space where Peter's car was normally parked, and smiling to see Tony and the boy leaning against Natasha's Corvette, instead. Both were smiling, cheerfully, when she stopped the car and turned off the engine.

"Did you have a good day?" Tony asked, opening the door and taking her bag for her.

"It was productive. How about you guys?"

"We started working on the car," Peter told her, looking pleased rather than upset at the prospect.

"Oh?" Pepper looked at Tony. "How does it look?"

He smiled, putting an arm around her and handing her bag to Peter, who slung it over his shoulder.

"It's a mess," he replied. "But nothing we can't fix, right son?"

Peter nodded, falling into place onto the other side of her as they walked over to the place where the boy's car was parked, a large area around it to allow workroom. Pepper saw that the damaged front end had been completely removed, as had the fender on the driver's side, as well some of the chrome. It was all stacked in a pile on the side, against a wall.

"Right. It looks bad," he admitted, noticing that Pepper looked concerned at all the parts strewn about. "It isn't, though. We made a lot of progress – just today."

She was pleased that he didn't seem upset, and turned her attention to him, instead of his car.

"How's your hand?"

"It's good. Doesn't hurt too much, today."

"Where's the ball?"

He smiled, pulling it out of his pocket to show her, and handing it to her when she put her hand out.

"I've been reminding him to use it," Tony said. "That's our job, right now, to nag him."

Peter rolled his eyes, good-naturedly and took the ball back, handing Tony Pepper's bag.

"I'd better get going. I'll see you for dinner."

Tony nodded, and Pepper frowned.

"Where are you going?"

"To the pool."

He vanished out the far door, heading for the pool, and Pepper looked at her husband.

"You're not going to follow him?"

"Nope. He's going to meet Natasha, who will keep him company – and keep him out of trouble."

"He isn't doing too much, too soon, is he?"

"Not yet. We'll keep an eye on him and make sure, though." He slung her bag over his shoulder, now. "I do have a couple of things to tell you about, though. You're going to love it."

To judge by his tone, it wasn't urgent, but Pepper was sure that she wasn't going to love it.


	139. Chapter 139

Peter's hair was still wet when he arrived in the lounge a little over an hour later.

"Where's Natasha?" Tony asked when he sat down, looking tired – as usual – but fairly cheerful. "I thought she and Stephen were going to eat with us."

"She and Stephen are going _out_ to dinner," Peter told him, shrugging. "He met us in the pool and she mentioned that she was hungry for Chinese food – and he suggested eating in the city."

"She _abandoned_ you?" Pepper asked, amused.

"Yup." He obviously wasn't too concerned. "Not until I was done swimming, though."

"How's the hand?"

"A little sore. Not too bad."

"Don't work it too hard to start, okay?" Tony chided. "We want to make it better, not stress it. Yeah?"

"Yeah. I know. It's good."

He held up the braced hand as if to prove it, but neither of them looked that concerned. They were just being cautious, he knew. Not surprisingly.

"Did you get your emails written?" Pepper asked, proving to him that Tony had told her what was going on.

He nodded, still noticing that she wasn't looking worried about that, either. Maybe Tony had been right and it wasn't that serious. Not if they both agreed.

"Yes."

"Without sounding too nosy," Tony said, gesturing to the servers that they were ready to eat. "What did you tell them?"

"I told Ned that I'm fine. Said the dream sounded like a weird one. I told him about D&D and reminded him that mom's picking him up on Friday. And I told him about starting to fix the car."

"What did you tell MJ?" Pepper asked.

"I said I was fine."

"That's _it_?" Tony asked.

"Well… I asked her how she was doing, told her I was grounded from my phone so I couldn't call her and then asked how she was and what she was up to."

"That's a little better," she approved. She was interrupted when their dinner arrived; chicken, potatoes and corn. Easy enough for Peter to eat with one hand still somewhat unusable, but healthier than burgers. "I spoke with Doctor Bird, this afternoon. Don't forget he's coming out Friday morning."

"House call," Tony said, smiling, as he reached for a bread roll. "Peter must be a _big shot_."

The boy smiled, too, and shook his head.

"He's probably just interested in coming to the compound. I know he's not a crazy fan, but his son is, and he'll be able to tell him that he came here. He told me that a house call someday would almost certainly impress his son. He was joking, at the time, but it probably is true."

"We'll make sure you show him around a little, then – and maybe get a few pictures with some of the others."

"Not you?"

"No. We'll save those pictures for someday when his son and I happen to be in the same room."

"He'd love that, I bet."

"I imagine." Besides, Tony owed the guy for being so good with Peter. He'd do a photo op with the guy's kid, sometime. "We have one more thing to discuss with you before we can get down to an evening of doing nothing."

"Oh?"

Pepper nodded, taking the lead, now.

"I spoke with the administrators at your school, today."

"Oh."

This couldn't be good, Peter decided, even though her expression wasn't concerned. No conversation that began with those words could be good. He wondered if they were giving up on him ever being to school, again. Or if they didn't want him back, because he hadn't even started the school year with the rest of his class. What if they held him back? What if he had to wait an extra year to graduate, now? Ned would be a senior, and him and MJ would get their diplomas and he'd be stuck watching from the audience as-

"Hey…"

Tony's softly spoken word brought him out of his reverie. Now they _did_ both look worried.

"Yeah?"

"It's not bad news, sweetheart," Pepper told him, her expression understanding, and her smile reassuring and soft. "I was just worried about you missing so much school, and how to get you back on track without burying you under a pile of missing assignments and labs. So, I called them a few days ago, and they got back to me today about it with their suggestion."

"Oh. What did they say?"

"They think – and we agree – that we should keep you home for the rest of this trimester, use Friday and Karen to homeschool you so you're caught up, and then send you back to join the rest of your class when the next trimester starts. What do _you_ think?"

"They'll let me come back?"

"Of course."

"You haven't missed that much, and you're smart enough – and disciplined enough – to catch up," Tony added. "They're keeping you listed as a registered student of the school, which means you're still part of the academic decathlon team, and you can still do school events as they come along."

"Oh."

"You just won't be in classes until next trimester, is all," Pepper said. "We can set up the homeschooling to start next week, and work it around your physical therapy and anything else that is going on."

"You'll still have several hours a day of school," Tony pointed out, shrugging, "But you'll be caught up in no time – and you'll be on track with the others."

"That sounds like a good solution," Peter told them, feeling relieved. "We could start it sooner…"

"No. Next week is soon enough. Mom still has to get the curriculum supplies – books, lab items worksheets and whatever else is needed."

"Oh. Yeah. Okay. Thank you," he added, looking at Pepper, mostly. "I mean, for calling them. I was wondering what was going to happen."

She smiled.

"One less thing to worry about, then, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll find out what we need and we'll go over it on Monday, once we get Friday to upload everything – and she can pass it on to Karen. We'll have a set scheduled time put aside for schoolwork to make sure you stay on pace."

"Okay."

"Feel better?" Tony asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Eat your dinner."

Peter rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. Everything wasn't perfect, yet, of course, but getting the school thing figured out was a huge step in the right direction. He wondered if they knew how much of a weight that seemed to lift off him, and when he looked at Pepper, who was focusing on doctoring the baked potato on her plate, but was smiling, he decided that she did.

OOOOOO

"_Did you talk to Peter?"_

"He's grounded from his phone, MJ. I haven't talked to him in days."

"_I thought they might make an exception for you."_

"Nope. I got an email, though."

"_Yeah, so did I."_

_"You did? What did he say?"_

"_Nothing about the dream. Just asked how I was and what I've been doing – and told me that he was grounded from his phone."_

"Do you know why?"

"_For wrecking his car, I imagine."_

"No. He told me that Tony and Pepper aren't angry about the car – Tony's helping him fix it, even. He's grounded because he didn't put his seatbelt on."

"_Oh."_

"Did _you_ tell him about the dream?"

"_No. You did, though, right?"_

"I told him I had a dream, yes – and that you mentioned having a similar one."

"_Exactly the same isn't _similar_."_

"We don't know that they were exact."

"_What did he say about it?"_ she asked, curiously, ignoring his disclaimer.

"Said that it sounded weird."

"_That might mean something."_

Ned shrugged.

"You know who probably knows? Shuri. Why don't you call her and see what she knows?"

"_Why me?"_

"Because _you're_ a girl, too. She'd probably tell you – and then you can tell me."

"_That's the most sexist – and _dumbest_ – thing I've ever heard you say."_

"I've said dumber," he disagreed.

"_Maybe."_ She looked at her clock. "_I'm not going to call her, though."_ It was pretty late. _"Maybe I'll send her an email – just to see how she's doing."_

"Tell her I said hi."

"_Are you still going to the compound this weekend?"_

"Yeah. Friday after school."

"_Let me know what you learn."_

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."

"_Night."_


	140. Chapter 140

The conversation was fairly light as they finished eating. Mostly they discussed how the homeschooling would work, and whether he thought they should set him up a separate area to work on the assignments – in case doing it in his room would be too much of a distraction, or wouldn't make him focus as he would if he was in actual classes. Peter didn't think it would really matter one way or the other, but he simply shrugged when they asked him, and listened as the two of them discussed the possibility of the boy going to the tower every morning with Pepper, doing his schoolwork in an office (or, maybe, her office – or Tony's, which wasn't used all that often, really) and working until lunch, before calling it a day and coming home.

"I could pick you up," he told Peter. "Or you could make a full day of it and you could stay the same hours as your school schedule and maybe hang out with Ned when he gets out of school some days."

"I'll send him an email and ask him."

"Good." Tony liked the idea of Peter going to the tower with Pepper. Not only would it return them to the habit of having their early morning drives, which gave them a chance to reconnect, but it also put Peter on a pattern. "We can set up any physical therapy sessions during off hours."

"But not on the weekends," Pepper clarified. "Those are free time."

"Right."

Pepper looked over at Peter, who smiled a silent thank you for the reminder. He was pleased about the idea of doing what needed to be done to keep up with his classmates, but didn't want to give up his weekends to do it if it could be avoided. She decided that he looked tired, but she was definitely pleased that he didn't look worried, just then.

"An easy night, tonight, guys," she told them. "I'm a bit tired, and I don't want to do anything too crazy."

But she _did_ want to spend time with them.

"We could play Scrabble…" Tony suggested, looking at both of them to see what they thought of the idea.

Peter looked interested, and Pepper nodded, satisfied with the suggestion. That was exactly what she was hoping for. Something that was interesting, but incredibly low key. She'd hoped neither would suggest Monopoly, or Risk – which were both pretty competitive and could last hours. Scrabble could last as long as however many games they wanted to play.

"Get the board, son."

The boy smiled, and did as he was told.

OOOOOOO

They were still at the corner table when Natasha and Stephen joined them. The assassin moved to stand behind Peter; both as a way to get a hug from him, and to sneak a peek at the tiles in front of him. Since it was his turn, he was trying to find the perfect word, but he took a moment to look up at her, smiling when she put her arms around him and hugged him, pressing a kiss against his cheek.

"Who's winning?"

"Peter is, _this_ game," Tony told her, feigning annoyance. Secretly he was always pleased when the boy showed them just how bright he was. "He's just getting lucky."

"How's the hand?" Romanoff asked, before Stephen could.

"It's okay. Only a little sore. How was dinner?"

"We went to a new place. It was good." Natasha let him go, brushing her hand against his shoulder. "If you're nice to me, I'll take you sometime."

"I'll keep that in mind." He played the word _Zephyr_ and smirked at Tony's scowl.

"_Lucky_…" Tony repeated, adding up the score in his head while Pepper and Peter did the same.

Peter smirked, again, and even Strange smiled to see the boy so content.

"This is my last game," Peter told Natasha and Stephen. "If you want to play cards, or something."

"You sure?" Tony asked. "Mom still hasn't won, yet…"

The boy nodded.

"I'm tired. And I want to send Ned an email about school before I go to bed."

Since there weren't any other tiles in the bag, the game was close to being finished. Natasha sat next to Peter, while Stephen went to the bar to get them coffee. By the time he returned, the boy had won and was telling everyone goodnight.

"What did he mean about school?" Natasha asked as she took Peter's spot and the others shifted positions to be set up to play teams.

"We're working on getting him back up to speed for school," Tony explained. "Now that he's recovering from what happened."

Pepper explained what they had set up, and were still setting up, with the school administrators and both of them nodded their approval with the plan.

"He's accepted it?"

"Seems to be in agreement with the whole thing," Tony told them. He looked at Pepper. "I think sending him to the tower with you every morning is the way to go, really. We can set him up his own space in my office."

"Since you never use it?" Strange asked, wryly, as a deck of cards and a scorepad appeared in his hands.

"Something like that."

OOOOOOO

Before he could go to bed, Peter had to find his cat.

It wasn't too complicated; Nutmeg's collar was lowjacked, after all. He simply checked in with Karen, who directed him to the control room. The boy stopped in and pulled the kitten off the keyboard with an apologetic smile. He stopped long enough to watch the night crew who were overlooking the security cameras that were on the far perimeter of the compound. They'd asked him about his hand, and chatted for a minute but they were working and he was tired.

He stopped and checked on Ironpig, who was sleeping in his pen, and then headed to his quarters, but was suddenly feeling just a little tingly, and hesitated, looking around and trying to figure out why.

OOOOOOO

"It doesn't look right…" Rocket said, frowning.

"Because it _isn't_," Quill agreed.

They were standing under the Milano, looking up at the retro work they'd just completed on the driveline. The huge engine had definitely needed an upgrade, and being on Earth had given them the perfect opportunity to take the time to do it – and do it right.

The only problem was that it wasn't going exactly according to plan. The resources on the planet were plentiful, and they weren't having too much trouble finding what they needed, but there was a slow leak somewhere, and they had finally decided to send fuel through the entire system and see where it pooled. Which was normally a great idea – if they'd been doing it in space where the lack of atmosphere didn't cause a build up pressures.

On the planet, the air pressure was causing a clog rather than allowing the leak to escape, and after a few hours, there was a decided bulge in the line that Rocket, Quill and Gamora were all looking up at. Even Groot walked over to look up at the disfigurement that was showing so glaringly larger than life.

"What do we do about it?"

"We figure out where it's clogging before it blows us to hell," Rocket replied, looking over his shoulder, before looking back up. "And we turn off the power."

"Yeah."

Quill headed for the control panel in the front of the ship, but they all heard the alarm before he'd taken more than a couple of steps.


	141. Chapter 141

_A/N Sorry about the wait on this. Had to think it through – and I've been busy with work and Jack, also._

OOOOOO

"_Critical power buildup detected."_

Tony frowned. He knew that Pepper, Natasha and Stephen had all heard the warning from Friday, even though it came over his watch.

"What? Where?"

"_The Milano."_

They all knew what that was, of course. All four went to their feet, immediately – and alarms went up all over the compound as Friday started the protocol that would evacuate all personnel in the compound immediately to the reinforced rooms that served as shelters against any kind of emergencies. Mainly explosions – but usually ones that were the result of something Tony or one of the others was working on in the workroom.

"Pepper, get to the shelter. Natasha, you too."

The room right next to the lounge was one of them, and both Romanoff and Pepper were vulnerable. An explosion – especially if it was really the spaceship that was threatening to explode – would almost certainly devastate the compound. Unless it could be stopped, of course. Tony was already activating his Ironman suit – and Strange had his arms up, looking at the billionaire to see what he needed from him.

Pepper didn't argue – and neither did Natasha. There was a time to be annoyed at being summarily excused, and a time to understand that griping about it would only be a waste of time that they didn't have.

"Get Peter," Pepper ordered, already heading for the door – with Natasha and a couple of the lounge workers joining them.

"I will."

OOOOOO

"Shit."

"I am groot."

"No!" Rocket snapped, looking at the tree. "Go find a place to shelter – just in case."

"It's not going to blow up," Quill said, hurrying toward the danger rather than away from it. The _Milano_ was his baby, after all. He wasn't going to allow her to be destroyed. "We just need to siphon off some of the energy and get rid of the blockage. Clear that pipe, Rocket."

"Yeah."

The racoon grabbed one of the diagnostic tools that he'd been using and scurried up the ladder to reach for the panel that covered the pressure valve he needed, just as the alarm's urgency increased, the sound making the others wince – although they continued to work on the ship; Gamora staying as well, and handing tools up to Rocket, who otherwise would have had to run up and down the ladder to get them.

Groot followed Peter toward the front of the ship joining him just as another form ran up as well; this one much slimmer and holding a small – and very annoyed-looking kitten in his hands.

"What's going on?" Peter asked Quill."

"Plasma buildup," was the terse answer, as the older Peter slapped the hatch control, opening the door. "You need to get out of here before it blows-"

Peter raised the hand that wasn't holding Nutmeg.

"I can help. Just-"

Before Peter could say anything else, the alarm stopped – just as the Ironman suit came to a sudden landing beside – and a little in front of – him.

"Got it!" Rocket said, triumphantly, holding up the shut off valve and waving it at the others. The racoon shook his head as he climbed down off the ladder, the open panel a gaping wound on the side of the spaceship, but the buildup now gone. "Man, _that_ could have been messy."

"What happened?" Tony asked Quill, the suit disengaging as Friday confirmed that there was no longer any danger of explosion.

At least not at the moment.

"Plasma buildup in the generator," was the immediate reply. "The system is designed to bleed itself when that happens, but every now and then we get a hiccup and have to do it manually."

"This has happened before?" Peter asked.

"Every now and then." He gave Tony an apologetic look, not missing that the compound was brightly lit up, now, and had only half an hour before been dark with the impending night. "Sorry about that."

Tony affected a nonchalance that he didn't feel, and he shrugged.

"It's all good. I wasn't worried." He looked at Peter. "What are you doing out here?"

"I thought I'd see if I could help."

He started to say something, but Strange was suddenly beside him – although none of them had seen him coming.

"At least he activated his suit, this time, Tony," the sorcerer told him.

"Good point." Ignoring the way his heart was hammering at the thought of Peter running to the danger to see if he could do anything rather than heading for one of the shelters, Tony tapped the vibranium clad shoulder. "That's a start."

Peter shrugged.

"They had it under control, though."

"Go find mom before she comes looking for you. Let her know you're safe."

He didn't bother to tell Peter where she was; Peter could ask Karen and intercept Pepper before she could start worrying about their son.

"Okay."

Still carrying the kitten, Peter headed for the main building at a trot, and Quill shook his head as Rocket and Gamora walked over.

"I don't know what he thought he was going to do, but that kid has a lot of guts, running toward the alarm like that."

"I'd rather he kept them inside his skin," Tony said, shaking his head, ruefully. He looked up at the spaceship, and then back at the guardians. "We're good here?"

"Yeah. Just a little glitch, is all."

"Good. Need anything?"

"Not tonight," Rocket said. "I think we'll wait until morning to finish bleeding the systems."

"Agreed," Quill told him. "We'll finish this and call it a night."

"Alright. We'll see you at breakfast, then."

He turned and walked back toward the building, as well, and Strange fell into step beside him.

"You handled that a lot better than I expected you to," the magician said.

He'd been expecting an explosion of a completely different type – once the danger was passed.

Tony shrugged.

"I've had a few close calls with tech of my own," the billionaire admitted. "Friday says the system is safe, now, so it's good. The initial alarm is genius, really; it went off a lot earlier than my own would have and gave them plenty of time to fix the problem."

"So what you're saying is that if it had been your project, it would have leveled the compound?"

"Of course not. Friday watches me fairly closely when I'm working. She'd have caught the problem long before she needed to give an alarm."

Now.

Before, however…? Yeah. The place would have been leveled. He didn't admit it, though. But Strange didn't need him to. The other man chuckled, relieved that nothing had happened. He wasn't in the mood to play surgeon, just then – no matter how healed his fingers and hands were.

OOOOOO

They'd barely ushered the others into the saferoom shelter (joining a few who were already there) when the door sealed behind them, advising silently that no one else was in the vicinity and seeking shelter. There was a moment of absolute darkness, and then the lights went on, as did a display on the wall that was relaying information. Before Natasha could do more than go stand in front of it, the alarm they were all still able to hear in the distance suddenly went silent.

"What does that mean?" one of the others asked.

"It's-" Romanoff was interrupted by a different chime. "That's the stand down," she told them all, unnecessarily. "We're good to go as soon as the lock cycles."

They didn't need to be told that it wasn't going to be more than a few minutes, but they were all impatient while they stood at the door and waited. When it finally clicked, opening, Peter was the one who opened the door from the other side. The boy was looking a little excited, and was holding his kitten, Pepper saw.

"Are you alright?" she asked, checking him, carefully, for any sign of injury.

"Yeah. You guys?"

He was looking her and Natasha over for the same reason.

"We're fine," Romanoff answered. "What happened?"

"It was the Milano," he told her. Then he looked at Pepper, and shrugged. "I didn't touch it, I swear."

Pepper chuckled, despite the worry that she'd been feeling.

"I believe you."

But she wanted to go to the lounge, knowing that that was where Tony would be – and that was where she'd get her answers. Peter and Natasha walked with her.s


	142. Chapter 142

They headed back to the lounge, and it wasn't just the kitchen folks and bartenders that joined them, there. Several others were coming into the room, talking excitedly, obviously aware of what had happened but wanting to make sure that everything was alright before going back to whatever they were doing before the alarms had started going off.

"Is Tony alright?" Pepper asked Peter as they walked to the table in the corner.

"Yeah." He handed Nutmeg over to Natasha, who smirked, and pulled chairs out for both women – something that made the two silently squee at a habit that he was obviously picking up from Tony and from Stephen. "Something was going wrong with the ship but they had it figured out and fixed before we even got there to help."

"That's good. Was it serious?"

Peter knew that it was – _now_ – but he hadn't known at the time. In the time between leaving Tony and the others and going to the shelter room, the Mind stone and Alec had managed to share with him what had gone wrong on the ship and how Rocket had repaired it. But it was complicated, and made the boy's head hurt.

"It could have been," he confirmed. "But it's fine."

Tony and Stephen appeared at the entrance, then, and headed toward the table, as well – with Clint, who had obviously come running toward the trouble, only to arrive too late to be any help. Stark waved to a few people as they crossed the room, but he wasn't concerned and it showed, which made those in the room relieved.

"You guys good?" he asked, sitting down and smiling at his wife.

"Fine. Peter says it was the guardians' spaceship?"

"Yeah."

"But it's safe, now?"

"It's fine, honey. They've got it under control. There was just a buildup in one of their drive systems."

He, obviously, had received the information about the problem from Friday.

Pepper nodded, and Tony reached for the cards that they'd discarded when the alarm had gone off. Before he could say anything, however, or ask Peter if he was going to stay up, instead of going to his rooms, his watch beeped.

"_Tony?"_

That was Steve. Not surprising any of them, since he almost certainly had been given the alarm when the others had. Only he was in Wakanda and in no position to do anything to help.

"We're fine, Steve. False alarm."

"_You're sure?"_

"Of course. How fares Wakanda?"

"And when are you coming home?" Natasha added, pressing her face into Nutmeg's side.

"_The place is beautiful, as always,"_ Rogers assured them. _"Sirah has met with the administrators of the orphanage that Ramonda suggested she live and work at, and seems to be comfortable there. I reminded her that she can do whatever she wants, and if she'd rather have a different job, or a different location she can."_

"What did she say?" Peter asked, curiously.

"_She told me that she likes it – and the children, but that she will call if that changes."_

"Good enough."

"_We'll stay here the rest of the day, and be back tomorrow, I think,"_ Steve added.

"Sounds good." Tony glanced at Strange. "Just call Stephen and he'll open the door to get you back."

"_Good_." There was a pause. _"T'Challa wants to talk to you."_

"_Tony?"_

"Your Majesty."

His expression was amused, despite the formal greeting.

"_Is Peter still banned from using his phone?"_

"He _is_. Why do you ask?"

"_Because my sister has caught a cold – almost certainly from bouncing from my climate to yours and back, again, so often – and she insists that she is fine and does not require bedrest as our medics have insisted. I was hoping Peter might be willing to convince her otherwise. She certainly isn't listening to me."_

Peter frowned.

"Shuri's sick?"

"_It is nothing serious,"_ T'Challa assured him. _"But we would like to keep it that way. As you know, the best way to overcome an illness is to rest."_

The boy nodded; he definitely knew that. What was more, Stephen was nodding his agreement – not surprisingly.

"Right. What can I do?"

"_If Tony would allow it, I would appreciate it if you would call her and interrupt what she is working on in her shop and tell her to go back to bed and do as she is told. She will not listen to me,"_ he repeated.

"But you're the king."

"_And her brother."_

Peter hesitated, looking at Tony and then at Pepper. They didn't need to discuss it, however.

"Go call her," his mother told him. "And see if you can help get her to do whatever they need her to do."

"Just _her_, though," Tony added. "You're still grounded."

"Yeah."

The boy got up and left.

"He's on his way to his room, T'Challa," Stark told the young King of Wakanda. "He'll give her a call when he gets there. Anything else we can do? I happen to know a good doctor…"

Strange smirked, but didn't immediately shoot down the idea.

"_That is all,"_ came the reply. _"Our medics are very well educated. Making my sister do as she is told is the problem. I will speak with you soon, I hope."_

The call ended, as did the one with Steve, and Tony reached for the cards, again.

"Where were we?"

"We were kicking your butts," Natasha replied, setting Nutmeg in her lap to free her hands.

"What? I don't remember it being that bad…"

OOOOOOO

He used the TV in his room – that way he could see her expression better. And he could be pretty comfortable.

"Karen? Call Shuri, please."

A moment later the princess was on his display, looking surprised to hear from him – and holding a tissue in her hand.

"_Peter? Are you _supposed_ to be calling me? Or is this teenaged rebellion?"_

He smiled.

"I've been granted a single exception from being grounded from my phone," he told her, noting that she sounded stuffed up. "How do you feel?"

Her slightly red eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

"_My brother told you to call…"_

"He said you're sick."

"_It is nothing serious,"_ she assured him. _"I woke this morning congested and with a cough. He worries for no reason – as does my mother."_

"The doctors looked at you?"

"_They did."_ She rolled her eyes. _"Doctors tend to overreact."_

"What did they tell you?"

"_That I am sick – probably because of traveling so often, recently, between your country and mine. And that I am tired because I have been working too hard."_

"You have been working hard," he pointed out. "Helping us with the shield, and the defenses, and then saving my life? Plus doing the ceremonies there at home? It's not surprising you're sick. You should take a break and get some rest like they said."

"_I am fine. Truly. And I have many projects that need my attentions, now that you are better and I am home."_

"You don't look fine."

"_It is a bad connection."_

He raised an eyebrow at her, amused, but concerned and allowing it to show.

"Please do what the doctors tell you to…" he asked her. "I'm worried about you."

"_You have no reason to be worried. It is a simple cold."_

"And it could become something worse if you don't take care of yourself."

"_I am taking care of myself."_

"T'Challa says otherwise."

"_He worries too much,"_ Shuri told him with the asperity of a teenaged girl talking about an older brother.

"Shuri…"

"_Peter…"_

He wasn't very good at cajoling, but Alec was in his head and silently suggested another tactic.

"If you get sick, and it's from visiting here, T'Challa might not let you come back for a while," he told her. "That's not a risk I want to take."

She scowled.

"_He would not keep me away."_

"He might; if the doctors said you were sick, or might get sicker – or didn't take care of yourself when you got sick. You know Tony will back him, too, because he'd be worried about you not staying healthy. If Tony doesn't let you come visit, I'd be pretty sad."

He wasn't the smoothest, but the message had been sent. And received.

Shuri sighed.

"_Fine. I will go back to bed – for today."_

"And _tomorrow_, if you're still sick."

"_We will see."_

The boy smiled.

"Thank you."

"_You realize that I am only agreeing because I do not want to be kept from visiting you, right?"_

"Yes. I appreciate it, too."

"_Good."_

"Going back to bed, then?"

"_I suppose."_

"Thank you."

Her annoyed expression softened and she smiled.

"_You are welcome."_


	143. Chapter 143

"Did you call Shuri?"

MJ nodded.

"She didn't answer."

"You didn't call her in the middle of her night, did you? I wouldn't have answered, either."

"No. it was the middle of our night," she told him. "I did that on purpose. But she's probably busy."

She was a princess, after all, and they both knew she had a lot of official and unofficial responsibilities that came with the title.

"Peter emailed me last night and told me that she has a cold. Maybe she was still in bed, or something."

"How did he sound?"

"It was an email."

She rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean. Did he say anything that set off any alarms that he's hurt worse than he's letting on?"

"Said he was typing with his injured hand, so it can't be that bad." He'd also told Ned that his out of town visitors had had an issue with their transportation that night and things could have gotten pretty messy. Since there were a lot of visitors from out of town (and off planet) at the compound, Ned was only guessing that the transportation hint told him that it was the spaceship – although he wouldn't be able to confirm that until he was at the compound. "He told me that he's swimming and working with a rubber ball."

"That's what he wrote me, as well," MJ said, nodding. "Did he tell you about homeschooling?"

"Yeah. That's a relief. I was wondering what was going to happen."

"So was I. You're going to the compound, tonight?"

Ned nodded.

"Pepper's picking me up when she's done at the tower. I'll get a first hand look at him – and will swim with him when he does his physical therapy, so I'll let you know how he's really doing."

"Tell him I said hello, will you? And I'm sorry."

OOOOOOOO

There was a small group of people standing under the belly of the spaceship looking up at it in the bright light of the morning.

"It's under control?" Clint asked, without looking over at the others.

"Yeah," Rocket said, nodding. The racoon had climbed up into Groot's shoulder and was holding a diagnostic tool in his little furry hand, but he wasn't using it, just then. "We double-checked it all, this morning. It's probably good to go."

"Probably?" Tony echoed.

"It's good to go," Quill assured the billionaire. "We'll take her out for a test run – just to make sure everything is smooth, but she's sounder now than ever."

"Nothing like a vacation to give your crew and ship a chance to refresh," Gamora agreed.

Peter couldn't help the excited look he gave Quill.

"When are you going to do the test run?"

The man's eyes lit up with amusement at the boy's enthusiasm.

"We want to do it at night, to keep anyone from visually being able to track us. We can cloak her to keep radar from finding her."

"I don't know why you keep calling it _cloaking_," Rocket said, rolling his eyes. "It's not covering the ship with anything, is it? No. We're concealing her. Or hiding her."

"I know why," Clint told him.

"Me, too," Peter agreed. He looked at Tony, and then at Quill. "Can I go with you on your test run?"

"Your dad's good with it?" Quill asked, looking at Tony.

"If he gets to come, too," Tony replied.

He'd never been in a spaceship, either, after all.

"Sure." He turned to Peter. "And your friend who is coming to visit? What about him?"

"We'll wait and see on that one," Tony suggested.

"Ned's not much of a flyer," Clint warned the Guardians. "If he goes, take some barf bags."

"Barf bags?" Drax echoed, confused.

"Trust me…"

Peter nodded his agreement, but he was excited, and it showed. Ned would be, too, he knew. Who wouldn't want to fly on a spaceship? Of course, he had other things to do, first.

OOOOOOO

"Good afternoon. My name is Peter and I will be your server, today."

Natasha frowned.

"I thought the physical therapist said no helper duty until further notice…?"

"He did, but I can do it if I don't actually carry much. I can take orders for people and wipe tables."

Huh. The fact that he was still willing, even with a free pass from the specialist appealed to her.

"Hello, Peter," she said, now smiling. "What's for lunch?"

He didn't need to look. He'd been eating in the lounge for a long time, now, and the lunch menu didn't vary, often. Of course, Natasha knew that, too. She was just teasing him, and he liked that.

"Burgers – with, or without cheese – chilidogs, or chef salad. Your choice of dressing."

"I will have a couple of chilidogs," Clint said. _He_ was having fun with Peter being a server, too – despite the fact that it was a punishment. "With cheese and onions."

"They'll make your breath stink worse than it already does," the boy warned, scribbling the choice onto his pad of paper.

"Are you picking a fight with me, Peter Pony?"

"I'm making a public service announcement."

Romanoff snorted.

"He isn't kissing anyone, Peter. Bring him extra onions. I'll have a burger, please?"

"With fries or onion rings?"

"Fries. I care about the people around me and don't want to stink."

Before Barton could reply – and he was definitely not going to let that comment go by unanswered – Steve and Carol appeared in the entrance to the lounge and headed their way. Both of them were looking a little tired, but considering they'd just returned from Wakanda, that wasn't too much of a surprise. Jet lag didn't always require a long flight, after all. That just usually exacerbated it.

Carol smiled at Peter, who pulled a chair out for her, and she sat down.

"Server?"

"Yup?" he glanced at his watch. "For another twenty minutes.'

"So you're better off waiting," Clint told them. "So you know your order will be correct – and not dropped on the floor as he's carrying it over."

"I haven't dropped anything all day."

"You dropped Nat's tea."

"I _spilled_ it. That's different. The glass never hit the floor."

"Where's Stephen?" Natasha asked, amused.

"He said he had to go back to the sanctum, and that he'd come for dinner," Steve replied. "And D&D, tomorrow."

"I could get used to instant transportation like that," Carol said, clearly impressed by the sorcerer, who had portalled them both back to the compound, but since it was the end of the week, he hadn't stayed, well aware that Natasha was working and he'd just be a distraction. "That's pretty convenient."

"You get around pretty fast, though, even without it," Peter pointed out.

"Yeah. But not _that_ fast."

"How was Sirah?"

Steve's expression was satisfied as he settled back into his chair.

"The place is a great fit for her. The kids were already swarming all over her, excitedly, and she looked relaxed for the first time."

"It was a good idea, Peter," Carol said, approvingly. "They'll educate her while she's helping to educate the children living there, and it won't be long before she'll be assimilated into their society. Not to mention she's pretty and exotic. She'll probably be beating the guys back with a stick once they manage to bring her out of her shell."

"Don't worry, though," Steve added, noticing the concern in Peter's expression. "They're very proper, there, and Ramonda has already assured us that she will be taking a personal interest in keeping her out of trouble."

"That's good."

"Aren't you supposed to be _working_?" Clint asked the boy, pointedly, raising an eyebrow and ready to change the subject so Peter didn't have a chance to worry about the alien girl.

She was going to be fine.

Peter rolled his eyes, and turned to Carol and Steve.

"Good afternoon. My name is Peter and I'll be your server, today…"


	144. Chapter 144

Doctor Bird arrived at the compound at three and was met at the main entrance by Peter and Tony.

"I honestly thought a guy that big would be driving something like a Hummer," Tony admitted as the car pulled up.

It was a small SUV with a personalized plate and Peter smiled.

"PB4UGO?"

"Good advice," Tony pointed out, stepping forward when the car came to a stop, with Peter walking up as well. "Doctor Bird," the billionaire said offering the psychologist his hand when the man opened the door and got out. "Thanks for making the house call."

The large man nodded, smiling, as he looked around – even while shaking Tony's hand.

"Of course." He smiled at Peter, but didn't even try to shake that injured hand. "I'd be nuts to pass on an opportunity to come out here – and we all know I'm not crazy, right?"

The boy nodded, and then looked at Tony, uncertain how to begin the conversation that was going to culminate in telling the psychologist that Peter was not only Spiderman, but also allowing him an insight to the bright light that most of the world knew next to nothing about.

"Why don't we show you around a bit?" Tony asked, gesturing toward the entrance. "Then we'll offer you some lunch – or refreshments – before you go back to the city."

He was going to stick around for the first part of the visit, and then allow Peter a chance to talk t o the man alone, for a while.

"Sounds good."

OOOOOOO

They didn't show him everything – and they didn't _tell_ him everything. For one thing, some of it was simply so sensational that it would take more than a couple of hours in the afternoon for it to be explained, and for another, the aliens that were at the compound, just then, were not really a secret that Tony wanted out, pretty much _ever_.

They walked him through the corridors of the main building, and Tony wasn't worried that they would be interrupted since word had been passed quietly that Peter's appointment was that afternoon and anyone that would possibly be a distraction was avoiding the area to allow a little privacy. As they walked, they explained Peter's dual identity and how it had happened – as far as they knew. The doctor took it much better than some others would have, much to Peter's relief, and he wasn't annoyed that no one had told him before, mentioning that he could definitely understand why Tony and Pepper would want to make sure that Peter's alter ego was kept a secret.

"It does explain a few things I wondered about," he'd admitted to them, smiling. "And confirms just how amazing you really are, Peter."

The boy had blushed a brilliant red at the compliment, making both men smile.

"A few more things to let you in on," Tony had said, still amused (and in total agreement, of course). "Then I'll have Peter show you his room and let you guys talk in private for a while."

As they made their way toward the general direction of Peter's quarters, Tony explained that the light which had caused so much speculation and had done so much to the population of the planet had, indeed, originated from the compound, and that Peter had been caught up in it, which had caused his injuries to his hand. No explanation of the infinity stones, or even Thanos and his army, beyond what was already public but it was still more than anyone outside the close-knit circle knew.

"I'm doing physical therapy for the hand, now," Peter told him, holding it up so the psychologist could see the brace – and producing the ball. "And they say it looks good."

"Good to hear." He took the ball, giving it an experimental few squeezes. "I broke my hand when I was only a couple of years younger than you are, and was given a similar exercise to make certain of a full recovery."

"How did you break it?" Tony asked, curiously.

He was a large man, now, and had probably been a big, sturdy, kid.

"Fell off a friend's bicycle."

Tony and Peter smiled at that and then Tony excused himself, leaving Peter alone with Bird.

"Was your mom mad?" he asked, opening the door and gesturing for the doctor to precede him into his quarters.

Bird looked around with interest and winced when Nutmeg walked over and climbed up his pant's leg to get attention. He caught hold of the kitten and examined him as he stroked the fuzzy head.

"She wasn't," he said. "But my friend's mother definitely wasn't happy – since he wasn't supposed to be riding it at the time. He was grounded and had snuck it away to the park we'd gone to that morning."

"I'm grounded, right now," Peter told him, sitting down on the arm of his couch while Bird walked over and admired the Wakandan panther painting that was hanging on the wall. "MJ and I got into an argument and I got mad and tried to go for a drive and wrecked my car trying to avoid hitting a deer."

"Is that what you did to your forehead?"

"Yeah. I couldn't get my seatbelt on and I was upset enough that I decided I didn't need it, and hit the steering wheel with my head and my hand."

"You could have been seriously injured."

Peter made a face and nodded.

"I know. It was a bad idea. That's what I'm _grounded_ for – not because I drove the car – or even because I wrecked it. I was just so angry at the moment I didn't care…"

"Angry from your argument with MJ?"

He already knew about her, of course. And Ned.

"Yes. She doesn't like me being Spiderman, because she worries about me getting hurt – and because I can't tell her everything that's going on, usually."

"And this time…?"

"She asked what happened to my hand and when I didn't tell her right away, she got mad and told me not to bother lying to her. I wasn't _going_ to lie to her. I just hadn't figured out what I was going to tell her, yet."

Bird nodded his understanding.

"I imagine you've had a hard time of things; keeping your secret from everyone who isn't in the know."

"It's stressful," Peter admitted. "I hid it from everyone, at first."

"Even May?"

"_Especially_ May. She was always telling me to run the other way when trouble." He shrugged, though. "She knew… I mean, she told me that she did, before she died."

"She must have been incredibly proud of you."

Peter couldn't help the sting of tears at the memory of one of his last conversations with his aunt before her death. He looked down at his hands and nodded, grateful to the doctor for giving him as long as he needed to get control of himself. When he was finally able to speak, he nodded, again.

"She said she was."

Bird smiled, gently, and changed to a less painful subject.

"Have you spoken with MJ, yet?"

"No. I'm grounded from my phone, so I can't call her – she probably doesn't want to talk to me, anyway. I can – and did – email her."

"Did she reply?"

"Yeah. But it's hard to tell if she's still mad, or not, and I can't call her to ask. And I'm not sure I _want_ to, really. She said she's tired of worrying about me, but I never asked her to, you know?"

Bird nodded.

"It's human nature to worry about our friends and loved ones. Tony and Pepper worry about you – you know that."

"They have to," Peter pointed out. "They're my parents, now."

"And they love you."

Peter smiled, amazed as always by something so simple – and so profound.

"Yes." He looked at the doctor, who had seated himself on the couch by then, still holding Nutmeg. "I don't suppose you have any suggestions for me…?"

"Regarding MJ?"

"Yeah."

Bird snorted, softly, amused.

"Relationships are a specialty of mine," the doctor said. "But teenaged girls? Never have I been so glad my offspring is a boy. We'll discuss it, though," he offered. "Maybe between us, we can figure out a way to make things a little easier on you."

Peter nodded.

"Please."

OOOOOOO

"Are you sure this was a good idea?"

Stark shrugged.

"Bird's good with Peter – and Peter likes him."

Romanoff didn't look convinced, and it showed.

"You don't think it'll stress him out more? Having another person know his secret?"

Tony shook his head.

"I think he'll be good with it."

They were sitting in the lounge, where Natasha and Clint had come for lunch, and found Tony sitting at the table in the corner, drinking coffee and looking through an online order for parts to Peter's Pontiac while he waited for Peter to finish with his psychologist.

"You just don't like him because he asked Peter if he was having sex with you," Clint said, amused, as he took a bite of the huge sandwich that he'd constructed out of various meats and cheeses that he and Natasha had brought to the table.

She didn't deny it – but she _did_ shoot the archer a look that suggested he eat his sandwich and not make another observation, just then.

"He's fine, guys," Tony assured them. He was amused, too, but was wise enough not to allow it to show. Romanoff had been fairly cheerful, lately, but that didn't negate the fact that she could break them all in half if they gave her a reason to. "Bird has some pretty good insights – and _he's_ the one who realized that Peter didn't really want to live at the tower. Before _Peter_ even knew he didn't like the idea."

Natasha didn't look mollified, but Tony wasn't worried. Before anyone could reply, there was a motion at the entrance to the lounge – which was devoid of aliens at the moment – and Peter appeared, with Bird next to him, looking around with interest.

"Wow… that's the psychologist?" Clint asked, staring. "He's huge…"

"Right?" Tony was amused, and watched as Peter walked the doctor over to the bar, first, introducing him to Deena, who poured Peter a cola and handed Bird a cup of coffee with a cheerful smile. "He's definitely not what you think of when you think of shrink, huh?"

"His _brother's_ even larger…" Romanoff said, sipping her iced tea and watching as the pair stopped to look at the wood carving Peter had bartered for when he was in Wakanda. She scowled at the twin looks the two men were giving her. "What? I checked him out. It's what I do."

True enough.

Forcing down his amusement, Tony nodded.

"You two can keep Peter company while Bird and I discuss what – if _anything_ – he has in mind to make things easier."

"We can do that," Clint agreed.

"No _wrestling_."

"Awww."


	145. Chapter 145

They were both in the garage when Pepper drove the car in and parked beside Natasha's Corvette and the empty space that normally held Peter's Pontiac. Both of them were leaning against Natasha's car, but straightened as the car came to a stop and Pepper turned off the engine. Peter moved to the passenger side of the sedan, while Tony stepped up to open Pepper's door for her, smiling.

"How was the drive?"

"Animated."

He looked over at Ned, who was opening his door at the same time, grinning, excitedly, at his friend, who was looking as cheerful as Tony had ever seen him.

"I believe that." He took her bag from her, and kissed her cheek, lightly, as she got out of the car. "Peter? Settle Ned and meet us in the lounge for dinner around six."

"Okay."

Tony offered Pepper his arm, and rather than do more than greet their son with a smile, she allowed him to lead her out of the garage and toward their quarters, leaving the two boys in the garage. Ned pulled his bag out of the backseat and closed the door.

"They left pretty quick…"

Peter nodded.

"Doctor Bird came, today. Tony probably wants a chance to tell her what he thinks."

He wasn't concerned about it; Tony had already shared what Bird had told him with Peter, and there wasn't anything that was embarrassing, or anything like that.

"What did you talk about?"

Ned didn't even consider that Peter might not want to tell him. They'd been best friends for a very long time, after all.

"We told him I'm Spiderman."

"No shit? Tony was okay with that?"

"Yeah. He needed to know, Tony thinks, in order to get into my head, better."

Peter wasn't concerned, and his friend could tell.

"What did he say? Was he shocked?"

"Definitely." Peter smiled, amused at Ned's reaction – and the doctor's. "He asked me to show him some videos from YouTube and then I kind of freaked him out by standing on the ceiling."

"Wow. What else?"

"Not much. Told him how I hurt my hand – and then about wrecking the Pontiac and hitting my head."

"You started fixing it?" Ned asked walking over toward the classic car and taking in all the parts that had been removed.

Peter followed.

"It's going to take a bit to get it right, but Tony's all over it. He already ordered parts, or the metal needed to rebuild anything that we can't find."

"That's awesome. Good thing he's so good at building things, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm lucky."

"Yeah, you are." Ned turned to his friend. "What can you tell me about what happened?"

"With the car?"

"With _all_ of it," Ned clarified, gesturing around them. "You know I won't tell anyone. Tony and Pepper know, too, right?"

"Yeah." He'd actually already had this conversation with his parents, well aware as they all were that Ned would ask – and that he already knew some things. And that didn't even count the dream. With the knowledge that MJ was already mad at him for holding back, Tony and Pepper were willing to allow Ned to know some – provided he understood that it wasn't to be shared with anyone else, including MJ or the other kids at school. "Let's go to my rooms," Peter told his friend. "I can tell you _some_ of it, anyway."

Not about the fight he had with MJ – although through that dream, Ned probably already knew about that, too.

"Okay."

They had to drop his stuff off, anyway. Then maybe they could go find Natasha and see what she was doing.

OOOOOOO

"How did it go?" Pepper asked, almost as soon as they were out of the garage.

Tony wasn't surprised. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and a smile.

"He's now one of the very few outsiders who knows Peter's secret identity."

Pepper raised her eyebrow, only somewhat surprised that Tony had actually allowed the knowledge out. He guarded Peter's wellbeing so carefully that she had been uncertain if he would really allow that tidbit of information out to someone who wasn't either a trusted ally, or an Avenger – or had figured it out, themselves, of course. Ned, MJ and a certain mob boss being the main members of that exclusive club.

"What did he say?"

"Oh, he was surprised." Tony smirked. "He's obviously not a superhero nerd, because he didn't know who Spiderman was, really, and we had to explain it a bit."

"Really?"

"Yes. I told Peter to show him some of the videos out there, and then give him a demonstration of some of his abilities, but I wasn't there for any of that."

"And?"

"He took it all in like it was no big deal," Tony said. "Called Peter amazing, but reminded the kid that he'd already thought that he was. Guy's as cool as a cucumber, Pep. No wonder he's so good at relaxing the kids that he works with."

"So he knows about Spiderman, but he doesn't know about Thanos, right?"

"Correct. He knows there was an attempted alien invasion – but everyone already knew that." The failed attack on China had been witnessed by a lot more people than the battle of the compound had been, so there hadn't been any hiding that. The world already knew about aliens after New York, after all. "I told him that the light was from an ancient alien relic that we got hold of to use to protect the earth, and that Peter was too close to it when it was triggered, and that was how his hand was injured."

"Which is true."

"He accepted it. He did ask if we knew if the healing from the light went to the mental level – and I'm not surprised that he thought of that question – but since I'm not sure, I told him we didn't know what all it had done."

"No question why Peter was the only person hurt, when the rest of the world was healed?"

"No. He actually mentioned that a bright light like that would generate heat, and if Peter had been so close, it was a wonder he'd lived at all."

"And since he already knew he's Spiderman, you mentioned that he's tougher than most."

"Right."

Pepper nodded, and opened the door to their quarters.

"What did he say about getting him centered?" she asked, changing the subject from the light and the rest of the world to what really mattered to her. "Any suggestions? And did either of you happen to mention MJ?"

"Peter did," Tony told her, sitting on their bed and watching as she started changing. "He pointed out that he wasn't a couples' therapist, but he suggested a few things. More of his insights, anyway."

"Such as?"

"She's new to the relationship thing, too, and probably uncertain as hell. She's a teenaged girl, right? They're usually full of insecurities. Even one as bright and level-headed as MJ. Being kept out of the loop probably isn't helping those insecurities, and worrying about Peter being hurt – which she is, we know – adds to the problem."

"So he thinks we should let her in on things?"

"Nope. He agrees that it would be a burden that she probably doesn't need to have heaped on her to add to everything else. He did suggest that we allow her and Peter to meet up, somewhere, so they can actually talk face to face, since emails are impersonal and it's very easy to miss subtext in a written correspondence."

"Well, that's true. But Peter's a _boy_; he's going to miss subtext no matter what."

Which made the billionaire smile at the truth of the statement.

"Too true."

"So we bring her out here?" Pepper asked. "I suppose it's not too late to invite her to D&D…"

"No. We let them go to the park – if she wants to. Peter will email her and invite her to do something with him on Sunday, if she's interested. One of us will be the driver, since Bird was absolutely fine with our punishments for him, and he's still grounded from driving and from his phone."

"That's good. And helping him destress? What did he say about that?"

"Keep him as busy as his health allows. Rebuilding the car as quickly as we can to get it back to previous condition, and the homeschool thing is genius, as far as he's concerned. He thinks the sooner Peter starts working on getting caught up, the better."

Pepper smiled at that, and sat down beside him, willing to be held, now, and feeling relieved.

"We have all of the supplies that we need to get that going, and I've tasked Jonathon with transforming a portion of my office into space for Peter to work."

"Not mine?"

She shook her head.

"If he has a question, I'll be right there to help him, and he won't need to come across half the building to find me. He's unobtrusive, so I'm not worried he'll be in the way – and most of the meetings that I have are in conference rooms. If he needs to go for a while, we'll call it recess, or something."

"You're so smart…" Tony said, approvingly, kissing her cheek. "You _know_ that, right?"

"I try." She kissed him, running her fingers through his hair as she did, but then pulling back, since that reminded her of something else. "Take him to get a haircut," she suggested. "He's looking shaggy."

"He's not going to school, yet…"

"I'm not sharing my office with a _beatnik_."

Tony smirked.

"Fine. We'll take care of it Sunday – before he hangs out with MJ, if she accepts his invitation. We'll stop by the spa before I take Ned home and the three of us can get pampered a bit. Lord knows we all deserve it."


	146. Chapter 146

"That's crazy, Peter…"

"Yeah. I know."

"So this Thanos guy is the one I dreamed about?"

"If you had the same dream I did, yeah – only I lived it, too."

"Jesus."

Peter shrugged.

"It's over, now, though. Thanos is gone, and pretty much his whole army, too."

"What happened to Sirah?"

"She went to Wakanda with Shuri. She's going to work in the orphanage, there."

"That's cool."

"Yeah."

"So… do I get to meet the space pirates?"

"The guardians is what they call themselves," Peter corrected. "Yes. They're around. I'll introduce you to them."

"Wow." Ned shook his head. "And this is just the stuff that you can tell me…?"

"Yes."

"So there's more that is even crazier?"

"I can't tell you."

Ned rolled his eyes, good=-naturedly.

"Whatever, Parker."

Peter grinned at that.

"Sorry."

"Bullshit, you are." He wasn't annoyed, though – Ned was well aware that he was being let in on a lot more than pretty much anyone, after all. "Let me see the ball your physical therapist is making you use."

Peter pulled it out of his pocket and handed it over, and then reached for his laptop.

"I'm going to send a couple of emails and then we can go meet Tony and Pepper."

"Yeah." Ned bounced the ball off the wall, under the Wakandan painting. "How are you living without your phone? I'd have gone bonkers, by now."

"It sucks. It could be worse, though; because I didn't get grounded from the net, or anything, so at least I can still write to everyone."

"MJ told me to tell you to write to her."

"I'm going to." He hesitated. "Did she say anything about me?"

"Just that she's worried about you. We've been trying to figure out what's been going on, and then this dream thing was pretty crazy – and a little scary." He hesitated, debating just how much he wanted to get in the middle of their spat. "She asked me to tell you she's sorry. Well, she _told_ me to tell you that, actually. But same thing."

"Sorry for what part?"

Ned shrugged.

"No clue. Just sorry."

"Huh."

"Sorry, dude. You'll have to ask her that."

"Yeah."

He turned his attention to his emails, listening to the steady thump of Ned bouncing his therapy ball against his wall in the background.

OOOOOOO

Tony and Pepper were late getting to the lounge, and they both saw Peter sitting at the corner table, with Nutmeg on the cat tree behind the boy, dozing. They sat down, smiling because he was looking so cheerful – which was so much better than stressed or concerned.

"Hey. How'd it go?" Tony asked.

"Good."

"He didn't run off screaming?" Pepper asked.

"It's Ned," Peter said, shrugging. "He's used to me being a spaz."

"You're not a spaz," Pepper said.

"A little bit," Tony disagreed, earning himself a look from his wife and a snort of amusement from his son. "Did you check on Shuri?"

"I emailed her – and MJ," Peter replied. "Shuri didn't reply – so hopefully she's sleeping like they want her to."

"And MJ?"

He looked a little uncertain, then.

"She said she'd like to do something on Sunday when I asked her."

"That's good," Pepper approved. "Did you suggest the park?"

"Yes. That's okay?"

One of them was going to be doing the driving, after all.

"It's fine, son," Tony told him. "Mom wants you to get a haircut, so we can do that before we take Ned home."

Peter gave her an exasperated look.

"Another one?"

"You're shaggy."

He ran his fingers through his hair, mentally gauging how long it was compared to every other time she'd complained that he needed a haircut. It wasn't too bad, yet.

"Not too bad…"

"You might as well look good for MJ," she pointed out.

Peter just rolled his eyes.

"Fine."

A movement diverted their attention and Ned was suddenly standing beside the table, holding a pad of paper and a pencil and wearing an apron around his waist.

"Good evening. My name is Ned and I will be your server, today…"

Tony looked at his son.

"_Seriously_?"

"He wanted to do it."

Ned grinned, nodding.

"Yeah. Peter can't, right? So I asked if I could give it a try. You know, in case I end up being a starving waiter during college, or something. I might as well know what to do."

Pepper shook her head, amused.

"I doubt you're going to be starving while you're in college."

The boy nodded.

"You never know. Now, what can I get you to drink?" he made a show of looking over his shoulder, as if worried. "My boss is watching and I don't want to get fired."

"Coffee," Tony ordered. "Times two."

Ned made a show of writing it down, and then looking at Peter.

"A coke."

"I'll be right back."

He turned and headed for the bar, and Tony looked at Peter.

"How's the hand?"

"It's not bad. I could be serving…"

"No. We'll wait until the physical therapy is going strong, first. You can be server – or helper – when they sign off on you."

"Okay."

"Did Ned make any requests for what he wants to do while he's here?"

"Spar with someone, play in the pool and check out the Milano."

"Did you mention the test run?" Pepper asked, smiling.

"No. I thought it would be better if someone else invites him, along. Preferably one of the guardians, since it would be presumptive of me to suggest it."

"True." Before Tony could say more than that, Ned returned, easily carrying two cups of coffee and a glass of soda, which he set before Peter. "You only get to serve this table, Ned," the billionaire told him, as he took the coffee with a smile of thanks. "We have a lot to do, tonight, and I don't want you worn out from serving before we get part way through it."

"Sure."

The novelty would have worn off by then, anyway.

OOOOOOO

"How do you feel?"

Shuri sat up a little, looking at her brother and mother, who were both standing beside the bed. Sprawled at the foot of her bed, tail thumping a hello to the new arrivals, Shuri's huge puppy, Tony, was just looking pleased to have his momma back to keep him company after being gone so intermittently.

"I am fine. I do not need to be in bed."

The fact that her voice was much deeper than normal, and her nose was dripping made both of them smile – although Ramonda did frown, slightly, as she reached for her daughter's forehead to test for fever.

"You are warm."

"I am fine, mother."

Neither was convinced. T'Challa leaned forward to brush his hand against her forehead, as well.

"You will stay in bed until the healers say otherwise," he told her with all the authority a king could bring to bear – although it was somewhat negated by the fact that he was also older brother. "I will not risk Wakanda's greatest treasure, Shuri."

She scowled at that; torn between annoyance at the command and pleasure at the nod to her abilities and just what she meant to her people and her country. And her family, of course.

"I do not need such fuss."

"And yet you will do as you are told," her mother said, firmly. "We were told it is a simple cold, so far, and will not escalate so long as you do not do anything stupid."

"I have work to do."

She'd been away quite a while, and wanted to take care of projects that had been put on hold during the emergency at the Avenger's compound; first with Thanos and then Peter's dreadful injury.

"It will wait."

"But-"

"Shuri." T'Challa's tone left no room for argument. "You will stay in bed until further notice and do as the healers say."

The princess scowled, again, and sneezed several times in rapid order, which made both adults smile as Ramonda handed her a tissue.

"Get some sleep, dear," she said, tenderly. "I will have them bring you lunch, later."

"Perhaps I will take a nap…" she said, primly, sinking back down into the pillows and closing her eyes. "But not for _days_…"

T'Challa waited, to make sure she wasn't going to make any further arguments, just then, and then offered his mother his hand and led her from the princess's bedroom.

"It is just a cold?" he asked, knowing that she was more abreast with what was going on with his sister.

"It is. As long as she does what she is told, she should be on her feet in a few days."

"Good luck with that," the king of Wakanda said, amused. "Perhaps I should call Tony and ask him how he keeps Peter in bed when he is not feeling well…"

"From what I understand, it is Natasha."

T'Challa smirked.

"Think we can borrow Steve Rogers?"

Ramonda's look was not amused – although her eyes definitely were.

"I will pretend you did not say that."

"Yes, mother."


	147. Chapter 147

When they were finished eating, they hung out in the lounge for a while. Mainly to give Ned a chance to meet the guardians. The boy was fascinated by them all and tried very hard not to be rude and stare while Tony and Peter introduced him to them. For their part, they'd all heard of Ned from Peter at one time or another, and their reactions to him varied from friendly (Peter and Groot) to somewhat aloof, only because they didn't really know how to relate to teenaged boys (Gamora and Mantis). Rocket was jaded and cynical, and Drax simply ignored him after the initial greeting.

Of course, Drax ignored _Peter_ most of the time, too – and he was aware that Peter was about as interesting as a human could be.

While Peter's friend sat with Groot and Quill, learning more about them, Tony left to put the finishing touches on the D&D campaign for that evening, and Pepper and Peter discussed his homeschooling until Natasha arrived with Strange, and only a moment later Steve and Carol walked into the lounge, as well. All of them were carrying their D&D things.

"Where's Tony?" Natasha asked, walking over to the table where Peter was sitting.

She hugged him from behind, and smiled a greeting to Ned, who abandoned the aliens in favor of his crush and came over to sit beside Peter.

"He's on his way back here," Pepper replied. She looked at Peter. "Do you have your things?"

"No. I'll go get them, now."

Ned joined him, and the two walked back to Peter's quarters.

"Are Carol and Steve a _thing_, now?" Ned asked Peter, quietly, as if he was worried about being overheard. "They look pretty chummy…"

Peter grinned, but was forced to shrug.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "They spend a lot of time together, but I haven't seen them holding hands or kissing… nothing like that."

"Which doesn't mean that they aren't…"

"Right?

"They're seriously a power couple, aren't they?" Ned commented as they gathered their things from his room. "Both military. Superhero types. Blonde. Good looking."

"I'm partial to Stephen and Natasha, myself," Peter replied. "He's super powerful and she's deadly. And they look good, together."

Ned made a face, which amused Peter.

"You know she's just leading him on, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Of course."

"Because…?"

"Because she needs to wait until I'm eighteen to make her move on me. Doctor Strange is just the distraction until I'm legal."

Peter smirked.

"Have you two talked that over?"

Ned shrugged.

"I'm still playing the field, Peter. Natasha knows that."

"And Stephen…?"

"She'll let him down easy, I bet."

The boy laughed, wishing that Natasha had used her ninja skills and had snuck up into the room, just then, to have heard that conversation. He certainly couldn't repeat it to her, after all – and there was no way it was simply going to come up in regular conversation.

OOOOOOO

Despite not having Shuri or Clint available, there were plenty of people playing and they were all attentive and engaged in the campaign that Tony set up. As such, it lasted well into the night, culminating in an intense final battle between their large group of diverse companions against a demon (which had made Stephen roll his eyes at Tony's description) who had three pet dragons at his command. There were multiple casualties, but miraculously, none of the party actually died.

Or maybe it was just Tony carefully manipulating the rolls that he could control to see to it that everyone had a good time, but no one suffered the indignity of losing their D&D creation to the maws of one of the dragons, or their master. When they were finished divvying up the loot, and were putting their character sheets away, Tony looked at Peter, gauging how he was doing.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm okay."

"And your hand?"

"Aches a bit."

Not enough that he was hiding it from them to avoid worrying them. Which was a relief to Pepper and to Tony.

"And your _head_?" Natasha asked, joining in the interrogation, amused.

"It's fine," he replied, rolling his eyes, good-naturedly.

"Steve's going to meet you in the pool in the morning to lifeguard while you do your physical therapy swim," Tony told him. "Then we'll have breakfast."

"Okay."

"Can I swim, too?" Ned asked, listening in.

Rogers nodded, not even bothering to check with Tony. Both boys were decent swimmers, now, and Stark wasn't quite as manic when it came to them being in the water. Not that they were allowed in the pool without any supervision, but he didn't insist on having someone actually in the water with them, now – only close enough to help out if something happened.

"I don't see why not."

"Don't wear yourself out, though," Romanoff warned Ned. "We're sparring after breakfast, sometime."

"Sweet."

Peter smiled at his friend's excitement. He always enjoyed having Ned at the compound. Not only for his company – which was a given, of course – but because it was fun for Peter to watch how the others let his friend in on things, and treated him like he was one of them. Ned lived for that kind of thing, and Peter liked it when he was happy.

They'd come a long way from being the loners that they used to be – although he knew they were still nerds. They were just in good company, was all.

The group started to separate for the night; most of them going to bed, but a few sticking around the lounge to socialize. Ned looked at Peter, and then at Tony – which gave both of them the warning that he definitely had something on his mind.

"Can we go look at the spaceship?" he asked Stark.

"You wouldn't be able to see much, right now," Tony told him. "It's under a screen and some camouflaging technology, and we've specifically made sure that the area it's parked in is dark. Wait until tomorrow, and we'll see if we can get you a look inside."

"And a ride?"

Tony looked at Peter, who shrugged his innocence. He hadn't mentioned the test run, but while Ned was talking to Quill and the other guardians, they had probably brought it up with him.

"That's up to the guardians," Tony replied. "And whether they think it's safe. That isn't a conversation that I'd care to have with your mother, after all."

Ned made a face, but he could definitely understand.

"Not to mention you get airsick…" Peter added.

"It's a spaceship," Ned pointed out, unperturbed by the thought. "I'd be fine."

"What are you two doing the rest of the night?" Natasha asked, knowing that they weren't going to be interested in sitting around the lounge watching the adults play cards when there were a lot of other options available to them at the compound.

"Video games," Peter answered, before Ned could.

"Don't stay up too late," Tony warned. "I don't want you falling asleep in the pool."

"We won't."

He and Ned said their goodnights to the others and left, and Pepper looked at her husband.

"You'll make sure they're in bed on your way to bed, right?"

"Yes."

OOOOOO

"A ride in a spaceship…" Ned said, shaking his head as they walked down the empty corridor toward Peter's rooms. "How frakking cool would that be?"

"It's cool," his friend agreed. "Know what else might be? I mean, not as cool as the spaceship, but might be fun…?"

"What?"

"Camping out in the field."

Ned was interested, immediately, of course. Camping outside wasn't something city kids did in Queens, after all. The compound was safe enough, but it would still be exciting.

"Tonight?"

"No. Probably not," Peter said. "We could ask, tomorrow, though, and do it tomorrow night."

"Tony would go for that, I bet," Ned said as they reached Peter's room. "Nothing could happen in the Avenger's backyard, after all."


	148. Chapter 148

Two sets of hopeful brown eyes watched Tony as he stared at them the next morning over his coffee.

"Let me get this straight…" he said, ignoring Pepper's amused smile and focusing on Peter and Ned, who had just met them for breakfast, and had started his morning with a request that he hadn't expected. "You want to sleep outside, tonight?"

"Maybe not _outside_," Peter hedged. "We have the tent leftover from our camping trip, though, right? We could set it up in the field and sleep in it."

"It's not like there are any bears here to come after us," Ned added. "It'd be pretty safe. But an adventure, still."

Even Peter looked over at Ned when he said that. It was Tony who spoke, though.

"I don't know, guys…"

"It'd be _great_," Peter said, quickly. "And Ned's right; it'd be safe. Steve said he'd dig out the tent if we needed it."

"He did, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Did he mention assigning a couple of security people to the perimeter to make sure nothing comes looking for a quick tent-teenager burrito in the middle of the night?"

Pepper snorted her amusement at that, which made Tony smile. It made Peter smile, too, because he could tell by Tony's expression that he was willing to be convinced.

"I'll push Ned out the tent, first, if anything comes," Peter promised. "While it's eating him, I'll make my getaway."

Tony turned to Ned.

"Hear that?"

"Yeah." Ned wasn't too concerned. "I'm not worried. I'm a ninja, now."

"Let me think about it," Tony told the boys, glancing at Pepper, again, to see if she had any objections. "You might go tell Steve to find the tent, though – just in case I lose my mind in the next few hours agree."

"After breakfast," Pepper added, when Ned started to get up.

"How late did you guys stay up?"

"Not too late," Ned assured them. "We turned off the game about midnight."

"And then had a snack, and went to bed," Peter confirmed.

His hand could only handle so much when it came to holding a videogame controller, after all. When it had begun to ache a little, and his character started dying, they'd called it a night.

"How's the hand?" Tony asked, as if aware that was why they'd stopped prematurely.

"It's not too bad," Peter assured him. "The swimming is a good idea, I think."

"And the ball," Ned agreed, producing it from his pocket. "I think I'll get one for myself. It's good for building a strong grip, Steve said."

"There are several of them around here," Tony told him. "Pick one up before you go."

They started eating, joined midway through by Natasha, who immediately checked on Peter before settling in between the two boys, reminding Ned that they were sparring and telling him to be in the gym an hour or so after their breakfast. Before Ned could do more than agree, Tony's phone beeped at him, and he pulled it out, knowing that it had to be important, or whoever it was wouldn't be calling on Saturday morning.

He frowned when he saw who it was.

"T'Challa?"

Everyone else looked up, too. Peter was immediately concerned that something had happened with Sirah, Ned was just interested in the fact that it was a king on the phone, and Pepper and Natasha were like Tony; if it wasn't important, T'Challa wouldn't be calling on a Saturday. Of course, it could be something good, but they knew that wasn't always – or even often – the case.

"Tony, I am sorry to call you so early."

"It's not that early. Everything alright?"

"My kingdom is secure," the young king assured him.

"That's good to hear."

"My sister, however, is driving me crazy."

"Want me to have Peter get her another puppy?" the billionaire offered. "That'll keep her out of your hair."

"I cannot afford to feed the one she has, now," T'Challa replied, amused. "He doubles in weight each week, it seems, and has chewed up several important documents – and my favorite pair of shoes."

Pepper wasn't the only one to smile at that.

"Anything we can do?" Tony asked.

"About the puppy?" T'Challa said. "No. They are telling me it is his age, and that he is teething. It will pass. About my sister? Perhaps. If Peter has some time, later."

"What do you need?"

"She is sick, and being surly about staying in bed and resting as the healers remind her she must. If he could call her – again – and remind her why she should do as she is told and stop throwing tantrums, I would appreciate it."

"Is it serious?" Pepper asked, glancing Peter's direction to make sure he wasn't getting worried.

Their morning was going well, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"It is not. She has a low grade fever, a cough, and is alternating between her head being stuffed up, and then running like a broken levy. But it will not get better if she does not do as she is told and get some sleep."

"I called her, already," he reminded them all. "She said she was going to stay in bed the rest of the day."

"And she did," T'Challa agreed. "But now she thinks that she is better, and says she does not need to be coddled."

"And she isn't?" Natasha asked.

"It will take many days. More if she does not do as she is told and rest."

"I could come talk to her," Peter offered. "Maybe she'd listen better if I was face to face with her."

"You're grounded," Ned told him.

"From the car and from my phone," Peter said, absently. "Not from Wakanda."

Tony looked over at him, seeing the concern in his son's expression. A very real concern that could carry over into worried dreams, edginess and even a panic attack.

"He's right," the billionaire agreed, surprising T'Challa and Ned – and Peter. "He's her friend, and she'd probably listen to him better than to anyone else. We'll see if Stephen is free to make a portal and send him over within the hour. If you think that'll be appropriate?"

"I would appreciate it," the King of Wakanda told him. "Call when you are ready and I will have Okoye meet you."

Which would keep it from being official and requiring the pomp and ceremony that being met by T'Challa would.

"Will do."

The call ended, and Tony put his phone away.

"We're going to Wakanda?" Ned asked, excitedly.

He loved Shuri's workroom – which was just as cool as Tony's, only more accessible to him when he was there.

"No," Tony corrected with a smirk. "You're going to spar with Agent Romanoff here – who I will remind should not beat you up too badly, since we want you in one piece, later. Peter and I are going to Wakanda – for a very short visit."

"I'll come, too," Pepper added, also not concerned, or surprised.

Not only would they stop Peter from panicking and worrying about his friend's wellbeing, it would also keep the boy from perhaps sleepwalking (or transporting) himself to Wakanda in the middle of the night. Especially if they were going to be outside and not right under Karen's nose – so to speak. That would be hard to explain, and would be a setback for their son, who was doing so well, now. Maybe they could check on Sirah, as well.

Another concern taken out of the equation.

Stark nodded, looking at Natasha.

"What is Stephen doing this morning?"

She smirked.

"I'll call him after we're done eating."

"Thank you."


	149. Chapter 149

"Are you supposed to be out of bed?"

Shuri scowled, but didn't even look up from her desk – or the 3-D display that she was manipulating with her right hand.

"I am not a child," she said, grumpily. "I do not need permission to…" she trailed off as he illness befuddled mind finally caught the fact that it hadn't been T'Challa who spoke, but that she definitely recognized the voice. She looked up, surprised. "Peter. What are you doing here?"

The boy smiled and walked over from the door, looking around with interest. He'd never been in her room, before – for obvious reasons – and it was an interesting mixture of traditional and modern; tech strewn about, haphazardly, souvenirs from her trips to New York and other places, and Peter recognized the artistry of the Jabari wooden carving on the wall above her desk. He set a large mug on the stand by her bed, rubbed Tony's ears where the puppy was lounging indolently on the foot of her bed, and then joined her at her desk.

"I came to check on you," he replied, noticing immediately that she was definitely ill. Her voice had that gravelly quality that only came with a cold, and her eyes looked tired. Not to mention the million tissues that were balled up all over the desk, the floor and her bed. "T'Challa said that you're not being very cooperative."

She rolled her eyes, but turned the display off, turning her focus to him.

"He thinks I am on my deathbed. Mother is no better."

"You _look_ sick…"

"I feel fine."

"You'd probably feel even better if you went to bed like you were told."

Now the scowl returned.

"I am tired of being in bed. I have many things to do, and I cannot do them from my bed."

A few days of being sick had made her petulant and stubborn. Peter didn't mind, though; he'd been on that side of the illness before. He understood, completely.

"If you get some rest, you'll feel better and be more productive."

"Do not patronize me, Peter," she told him, haughtily. "I do not want to rest."

"You want to get better, don't you?"

"I will – right here at my desk while I work on this project."

She was over her surprise at his sudden appearance, and annoyed that it seemed as if her brother sicced him on her to get to do as they were all constantly nagging her to do. She wasn't tired, and it had been a long time since she'd required the services of a nanny.

"Doctor Strange gave me something that might help," he told her, ignoring her scowl. "He made it for me when I was sick, last time, and it got me on my feet a lot quicker."

Strange had come to Wakanda with Peter, Tony and Pepper, and had consulted with Shuri's doctors before he produced a large keg-like container that was filled with the potion that Wong had made for those at the compound to get them over their colds quicker. It would have the added helpfulness of making her sleepy enough that she wouldn't want to be out of bed. And would get her healthy faster.

"I have healers. I do not need your American voodoo medicine."

Peter smiled, wishing that Stephen had heard that particular comment, and decided to be a little more assertive. She was a princess, yes, but she definitely needed to be in bed. He reached for her hand, using his braced right hand, automatically, which worked out well because she would almost certainly have snatched her hand from his had she not been immediately worried about hurting him. Instead, she allowed him to use his hold to pull her to her feet.

"Come on," he said, coaxingly. "I'll even tuck you in once you've taken your medicine."

He led her over to the bed, and pulled her blankets back. She was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt – one of the ones Peter had bought for her – and that was perfect. She would be comfortable. Shuri sat down on the edge of her bed, and eyed the liquid in the mug when he handed it to her once she was seated.

"What is it?"

"No clue," he admitted. "And it tastes awful."

"I am not drinking this," she declared, smelling it, suspiciously.

"Please?" He didn't realize that his eyes were hopeful and entreating – which was devastating to Tony and Pepper, and even Stephen – but she most certainly noticed. And found herself just as helpless as the others around him to say no and disappoint him. "If you drink it fast, you hardly notice how terrible it is."

"That is not a rousing endorsement," she chided, taking the plunge and downing the mug of medicine, and then making a disgusted noise and a face to match. "Ugh."

Peter smiled.

"Yeah. I warned you. He says if medicine tastes good, people would get sick all the time."

"That was vile."

"He left a lot of it. You're supposed to drink it a couple times a day."

She shuddered at the thought, and rolled her eyes when he got up and pointedly gestured for her to get under her blankets, which he then tucked around her. When she was settled, Tony shifted from the foot of the bed to come cuddle with her on one side, while Peter sat down on the other, reaching over her to scratch the puppy's ears, affectionately.

"What is in it?" she asked.

"As near as I can figure, he found the grossest plants, ground them up in a blender and then mixed them with everything bitter and sour, threw in a dash of horse poop and added enough water to make it go down. It works, though," he added. "You'll see."

"It was nice of you to come here," she told him, her head coming to rest on her pillow, but her hand reaching for his. "How long can you stay?"

"This time? Long enough to convince you to get better. But as long as you cooperate, I can come visit, tomorrow, too."

"Really? I thought you were grounded…?"

"It means different things," Peter replied, shrugging. "No phone and no driving are the real punishments, but even if I wasn't allowed out of my room, Tony would let me come check on you. We're friends – and Wakanda is an ally to the avengers, so we definitely take an interest in her princess getting healthy."

"That is nice of you."

"You'd do it for me."

She nodded, closing her eyes.

"Of course." Her grip on his hand tightened before he could decide to leave her to her nap – and now she did feel a little sleepy. "Can you stay a while?"

"Yeah. Of course. Ned is sparring with Natasha, and Tony and Pepper are checking in with Sirah, so I have plenty of time to keep you company – and Ned gets Natasha all to himself for a while."

"He is at the compound?"

"Yes. We're camping out in the field, tonight."

She opened her eyes.

"Is that wise?"

"It's the _field_," he said, amused. "Not the Siberian wilderness. We'll be fine. It'll be like camping, only safer."

The princess didn't look convinced, but she shrugged, well aware that Tony Stark wouldn't be allowing it if there was any chance of them being injured.

"It sounds like fun."

"Should be," he agreed. "I start school, again, on Monday."

"Really?"

"Homeschooling, first," he told her.

He settled in beside her, making sure to stay above the blankets to keep there from being any gossip about him being in her bedroom in the first place, and told her about the plan to get him caught up to the others. Somewhere along the way, she drifted off to sleep, and Peter smiled, softly, looking down at her – and then at her puppy.

"It wasn't that interesting a story," he admitted, making Tony wag his tail, idly.

He got up, double-checked that the blankets were tucked around her and suddenly had the urge to kiss her cheek. He decided that that particular gesture probably had something to do with sleeping people, since he knew Pepper and Natasha did it to him all the time. Of course, Tony did it a lot, too. Feeling a little daring, and hoping that she didn't wake up, he kissed her cheek, carefully, and smiled when Tony stuck his nose in between them, licking his cheek, in return.

Another pat to the dog's head, and Peter left Shuri to her sleep and went to find T'Challa and Stephen.


	150. Chapter 150

"Well?"

The boy shrugged.

"She drank the potion and went to sleep. But she wasn't happy with the idea – and she doesn't like the taste of it any more than the rest of us did."

"It isn't a potion," Stephen said, rolling his eyes, amused and not bothering to hide it. "And it isn't supposed to taste pleasant."

He had been more than willing to provide instant travel to Wakanda when he learned the reason for the need. Not only did he like Shuri and her brother, but he knew what the girl had done to assist with the defense of earth, and wasn't going to even put up a token argument. He'd even suggested that they speed up her recovery with the same tonic that had pulled the sick avengers and Peter through the illness that had plagued them after May's funeral. He had offered to simply leave a large supply with the healers (as the Wakandans called their doctors) and had promised to deliver more when it ran out.

"Tony and Pepper are still with Ramonda?"

"They are," T'Challa confirmed. "They may be a while, still."

Peter wasn't surprised. Tony and Pepper would make sure Sirah was happy with where she was – at least so far – and that was going to take a while, he knew. He knew that T'Challa had better things to do than play host to him and Stephen while they waited, however.

"Can I go look around while we wait?"

"Of course."

"I'll come with you, Peter," Stephen said, deciding that while T'Challa obviously didn't mind the idea of the boy roaming the palace at will, Tony and Pepper might prefer that he had some company, just to make sure nothing happened.

Besides, T'Challa was a king. He certainly had things to do that didn't include being gracious host to an American sorcerer.

"Sounds good."

OOOOOOO

Ned and Natasha were the only ones waiting in the lounge for the small group when they returned from Wakanda shortly before lunch.

"How's Shuri?" Romanoff asked Peter, smiling when the boy walked over to stand behind her and put his arms around her.

"She's sick," he confirmed. "And being pretty stubborn about staying in bed."

"But you made her see things your way?"

"No. Well, for the moment. I dosed her with Stephen's gross potion, and she was forced to fall asleep or feel it dissolving her tongue."

Natasha laughed at that, ignoring Strange's long-suffering sigh. Pepper and Tony had seated themselves by then.

"How's Sirah?" Ned asked, knowing that the adults had planned on checking in on her while Peter was spending time with Shuri.

"She's doing well," Pepper said, looking pleased. "She told me that she likes the people that work at the orphanage, and she is already fond of the kids."

"She's in a good spot," Tony agreed. "It's a great fit for her."

Peter was pleased, too, and it showed. He looked at Natasha, after making a show of checking his friend carefully.

"How was _sparring_? I don't see any bruises…"

Romanoff winked.

"And mar that handsome face?" she smiled; watching Ned blush was always fun. "He's doing fine."

"I'll be a ninja in no time." Ned had other things on his mind, though. "Gamora came by, earlier. They're finishing up with the Milano, right now, and figure to do their test run sometime before dinner."

"And _Steve_ is digging out the tent, as we speak," Natasha added, looking at Tony, pointedly. "I think the boys are in for a pretty busy day – all things considered."

Those things being the fact that Peter was supposed to be taking it easy, and he wasn't getting much rest that weekend, so far.

Tony frowned, but before he could say anything about vetoing the idea of Peter and Ned sleeping in the field that evening, Pepper put her hand on his arm, silencing him.

"Good. After we eat, we can go out to the field and see what – if any – help we can be."

Ned looked excited – not surprisingly, since it was his idea – and Peter was smiling, too.

"Can we set up a _campfire_?" the boy asked. "So we can roast marshmallows for s'mores?"

That was asking a bit much, and it showed on all the adults' faces. Obviously they were having visions of the entire rear of the compound going up in flames.

"Maybe a Bunsen burner?" Peter suggested.

They both knew how to use them, after all.

"We'll see," Tony said, quickly, before Pepper could agree. "Let's see what we have set up, and we'll play it by ear."

Romanoff smiled to hear such a parent answer, but she didn't say anything. Being dad was Tony's job, after all. She was the crazy aunt who was allowed to be more lenient and fun. But not so fun that she was going to let the boys near an open flame if she had to. Peter had helped burn down a cooking school.

"I want Peter to get some rest," Stephen said to the table at large, but looking directly at the boy when he said it. He didn't have to be the fun uncle; his job was to be the cautious doctor – and he did it well. "After we eat, go take it easy for a while – to make sure you're not going to be too tired the rest of the night."

"I feel okay," Peter assured him. He looked at Natasha. "I want to go watch them work on the Milano."

She started to say something, but before she could, Stephen interrupted, well aware that she might not side with him and he didn't want to face a united front of Natasha Romanoff – who he was very much in like with – and Peter Parker, who had big brown eyes and had once sat in his lap as a toddler and fallen asleep, there.

"Would you rather watch them work on it, or ride in it?" he asked, pointedly.

"Awww…"

Tony was forced to hide his smile, but Ned didn't even bother.

"I'll tell you what happens, Peter," his friend assured him. "And maybe get some video?"

"Nope. No video," Tony vetoed. "No soundbites, either. Any pictures are wiped from your phone and all your media before you leave, tomorrow, and will be available in view only form for you. Understood?"

"Yeah. Of course. That's not something you guys want to have leaked, I bet." He looked at Peter. "Does MJ know about it?"

A fair question, to ask what he could discuss with her when he saw her, next.

"No. She doesn't know about the guardians."

"She knows about _Thanos_, though," Ned reminded him – and the others.

"She knows she had a _dream_," Tony corrected.

"She _knows_," Ned said. "She's too smart to think it's just a coincidence."

Peter nodded his agreement to that, looking at Pepper and Tony.

"She knows."

Stark shrugged.

"Then she knows. She can keep a secret, too."

"She knew Peter was Spiderman for a long time before she told him," Ned reminded them.

"True." He looked at Peter. "No mention of the Milano when you see her, tomorrow, though. Okay?"

"Yeah."

"Or the light," Pepper added.

They didn't want that particular bit of information to get out, either.

"It was in the dream," Ned said, smiling when the server came to see what they wanted to have for lunch and somewhat distracted. "She knows where the light came from – _and_ that it hurt Peter."

Peter sighed, suddenly worried about the secrets that he still had to keep from MJ and what he could tell her – and the fact that he had so many topics that he had to skirt around, or completely avoid. What if she brought one up, directly with him, and he hesitated, and she got mad? Again. What if she didn't want to talk to him at all? What if she-

"Hey…" Tony's voice – soothing as always – cut into his fledgling panic attack before it could gain footing.

"Yeah?"

"It's not a big deal. She knows what she knows, and we deal with it. She's not going to go to the newspapers. She's your friend."

Besides, if she did, they'd have Friday wipe the story before it gained a foothold on any media outlets.

Peter nodded, feeling a little less worried.

"Yeah. I know."

He _did_.

"Let's eat," Pepper said. "Then you get some rest, and we'll see if Stephen can find something to give Ned to keep him from throwing up all over the inside of the guardians' spaceship."

Peter smiled at that – as she had almost certainly intended him to.

"Good luck."

They all remembered the flight to Montana, after all.

"I can find something," Strange assured them all. "Or at least a large supply of airsickness bags."

"I'm not going to get sick," Ned told them, confidently. "It's a _spaceship_, not an airplane. You'll see."


	151. Chapter 151

"Wait… he threw up in an _elevator_?"

"I am Groot?"

"It's a little car that – we've been on them, they just had different names…" Quill trailed off, looking at Ned, uncertainly. "You _sure_ about this?"

The boy nodded, his eyes big and hopeful. Easily a match for Peter when he was at his most sincere.

"I won't throw up. I promise."

"Stephen gave him an injection," Peter told Quill and Rocket, who were watching Ned. It was a better option than a simple pill, and although Strange didn't _guarantee_ that it would keep Ned from getting motion sickness, he did confirm there was less chance of it. "He said it should do the trick."

"Don't worry, Ned," Gamora said, walking over and putting her arm around the boy's shoulder and giving the others a challenging look that made sure they all understood that the kid was absolutely going for a ride in the Milano. "The ride is smooth. You'll be fine."

Ned's smile made Peter smile, but it was the way Gamora had pretty much put her foot down that made Pepper and Natasha grin, as well.

Behind the guardians, the ship was ready to go on her test run. All the systems were in line and in the green according to both Rocket and Quill. Of course, Tony had surreptitiously had Friday check the systems, as well – just to be on the safe side. The AI had given the entire ship a once over, checking the systems as well as storing all the data found on them (never knew when you might want to build your own spaceship, after all). Tony trusted the guardians – he _did_ – but it was Peter and Ned, and Peter was always his responsibility and Ned was at the moment since his mother had entrusted him to the billionaire.

He didn't want to have to explain to her that he'd allowed him an unapproved flight on a spaceship and something horrible had happened.

"Thanks, Gamora."

"Are we ready, then?" Rocket said, giving in grudgingly.

In deference to the fact that there were several who wanted to go, and that they weren't needed on the test flight, Drax and Mantis weren't going. Groot wasn't, either – although he had been tempted so he could watch Peter and Ned's reactions to something that he'd been doing all his life.

"Yeah."

There _were_ a lot of them going. More people than there were – technically – seats for them. Strange hadn't been interested at all, really, but Tony had requested his presence, simply because if something went horribly wrong, Stephen could use his magic to at least get the boys out and home, safely. Of course, Tony was going, as well, and he, too, was only really going to play chaperone. Unsaid to any of them – even to himself – was the fact that if something happened to Peter, he wanted to be there to experience it, as well.

For good or for bad.

"Let's go."

Rocket and Quill turned to head for the open hatch of the spaceship, followed immediately by Peter and Ned, who were practically wriggling with excitement. Behind them, Quill followed with Steve, Tony, Stephen and Natasha walking behind him and Gamora bringing up the rear.

Groot was standing beside Pepper, who must have looked a little worried, because he put a branch on her shoulder as if to reassure.

"I am groot," he said, patting her shoulder.

She smiled, and put her hand over the rough wood, once more amazed at what a person could get used to.

"Thank you."

Fury walked over to stand beside her, as well.

"Tony has it set up to keep the rest of the world from noticing?"

She nodded.

"The ship has a cloak – or whatever it is they call it – and it's going to keep anyone from actually seeing it or recording it as it leaves the planet and heads around the solar system. Tony is having Friday monitor the world web and wipe anything that might indicate anyone has noticed anything out of the ordinary."

Nick might have been amazed at the audacity of Tony Stark to think that he could monitor the entire world, but really, he wasn't. It was _Tony Stark_, after all. If anyone could control the web – even if it was only for a few hours – it was Tony and his amazing AI.

"We'll monitor things from the control room," Fury said, watching as the hatch closed. "Just to make sure we're not needed. They're just going to the sun, around it and then out past Pluto and back, right?"

"Just that," she agreed, making him smile. "Nothing big, right?"

"You realize when they get back you'll be the only woman on the planet who has a husband and a son who is, technically, an astronaut?"

"Not that I'll be able to tell anyone," she agreed. "But it'll be something, won't it?"

"Think of Ned," Fury said, smirking. "He can't tell anyone at all. Not even his friends at school."

"I know. But he wouldn't miss it for the world."

"We'll see how he feels about it all when he comes back."

They both remembered how sick the boy had been on the flight to Montana for Peter's birthday, after all, and when the engines on the ship fired up, were allowed to warm up – or whatever Rocket was doing to make sure it didn't stall at the beginning of the flight – and then suddenly left from the ground, shrugging off the camouflage netting that had been hiding it.

A moment later it hovered a hundred feet up, and then took off as if it had been shot out of a canon and was gone.

OOOOOOO

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah."

"I'm okay," Ned said, quickly. He looked pale and definitely a little green, too boot, but he hadn't lost his lunch, yet, and that was definitely a victory. "Just getting acclimated."

"You're doing great," Peter said, confidently. Confident enough that he was the only one sitting close enough to him that he'd be splattered if Ned suddenly erupted. "Did you look out the window, yet?"

"_Portal_," Rocket corrected. "Houses have windows; ships have portals."

"Not, yet."

"We just passed around your sun," Gamora said, walking over and taking Peter's spot to allow him a chance to go look, closer.

Peter moved out of his chair and went over to stand by Tony and Natasha, who were looking out a large portal, admiring the view of the solar system that neither would have ever expected. They smiled when the boy joined them, and Tony put his hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah." Peter smiled at Natasha and then at Tony. "It's amazing. You're taking pictures for mom?"

He was grounded from his phone, after all, so he couldn't.

Tony had already planned for that, however, and had worked with Quill and Rocket to set up a couple of cameras, as well as a video set up that would allow Pepper to see everything that they were experiencing.

"Of course. How's Ned doing?"

Peter smiled, genuinely pleased that his friend was managing to enjoy any part of what they were doing, when he knew that he was so terrible at holding his stomach together when doing anything like they were. He was proud of him, too.

"He's doing good."

They all looked over to see Ned reaching for one of the airsick bags – but there was no sound of retching, which they'd all expected.

"Maybe good might be pushing it," Natasha said, smiling fondly toward the boy and noticing that Stephen was moving toward him, too. Probably to give him another shot of whatever it was that was keeping his stomach in control. "But I'll settle for okay, really."

"So will I," Tony agreed.

On the plus side, maybe by the time they were done with the flight, there would be a lot less enthusiasm for using an open fire to make s'mores that night.


	152. Chapter 152

Not surprisingly, Pepper was waiting for them when the ship landed in the wooded area by the field, once more, and was immediately covered by the netting that would hide it from overhead. Groot was with her, as were a few of the SHIELD people, and Nick Fury. They watched as the hatch opened, and the first one down the stairs was Ned. The boy's smile was ear to ear when he saw Pepper and Nick, although he looked pale and a bit wobbly as he walked down the stairs and toward them. Right behind him came Peter with Tony, and then Natasha, Steve and Stephen bringing up the rear.

"How did it go?" Pepper asked Ned.

"I didn't throw up."

"Good job."

"It was exciting," Ned told her. "And the _view_…? Wow. It was –"

"We can tell her everything when we go inside," Tony interrupted, knowing full well that if he didn't cut Ned off, they would end up standing in the field listening to a play by play of the entire test flight. "Let's go get something to drink."

The billionaire didn't wait to hear a response. He offered Pepper his hand, his smile reassuring her that all was right with their world, still, and the two headed for the compound building.

"I am groot?" Groot asked Peter.

"They're checking their results from the flight. No one looks too worried, though, so it probably went exactly how they wanted it to go."

"It was amazing," Natasha added, coming up behind them with Stephen. "I'm glad I finagled an invitation."

"Me, too," Peter agreed.

"So am I," Steve said. "Carol wasn't interested in going – she's seen it all a million times – but that's the closest I've been to the stars, and it was incredible."

"Can we go set up the tent, Steve?" Peter asked. "Or did you want to go get something to drink, first?"

"Let me get a drink, first, guys," came the amused reply. "I know it wasn't a mission, but I have this uncontrollable urge to debrief – even if it's just sitting around the table for a minute and listening to everyone's feedback. Then we'll see if Tony wants to help with the tent, or if it's just us."

"Okay."

OOOOOOO

It was about as chaotic a briefing as Steve had ever seen. Probably because he and Natasha weren't guiding the conversation along. Peter and Ned had seated themselves across from Pepper and Nick – and Tony, by default, since he was next to Pepper – and were telling her about the test flight. Where they'd been seated, who was seated next to them and everything there was to tell about the little ship – and then they both took a drink of their colas and _really_ got started, describing what they'd seen out the portals.

To her credit (and because she _was_ interested) Pepper listened to every word, and was even able to ask a few questions when they both stopped to take a breath at the same time.

"It sounds amazing," she said, sincerely, when they ran out of things to describe.

"It was," Peter agreed, looking at Tony to see if he thought so, too.

The billionaire was smiling at their enthusiasm, as well, and he nodded.

"It was."

Of course, he'd been in space, once before, but he'd been delivering a nuke and saving New York, while also saving the world, so he hadn't had a lot of time to stop and look around. It had all been recorded, however, and he'd had nightmares about it for months, and even years.

"When are they leaving?" Pepper asked, knowing the initial plan, but wondering if anything had happened to maybe change things up.

"Tomorrow before sunrise."

"Quill wants to make another trip to load up on snack cakes," Peter reminded them, since he wasn't going to be able to drive the man, now."

"I'll handle his junk food," Stephen promised, just as a motion at the door marked the arrival of the rest of the guardians, who walked over and joined them at the table.

"How did they do, Peter?" Pepper asked Quill when he sat down beside Gamora, with Rocket taking the spot beside Pepper, who smiled down at him and once more had to force herself not to scoop him up and cuddle him. He'd probably bite her – and she'd deserve it – but it was so tempting. "Is Ned ready to be an astronaut?"

"He didn't throw up," Star Lord replied, smirking. "That's a good start."

Ned grinned.

"Can we watch you guys leave, tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"I have to give them the reality stone," Peter reminded them all. He frowned, looking at Tony. "What do we put it in so they can transport it?"

"We've got just the thing," Rocket assured him.

He looked pleased – and maybe even excited – about the thought of having such a huge payday in their future.

Carol walked over, then, and smiled at the group, seating herself next to Steve.

"You guys want an escort?" she offered. "You've dealt with him, before, right?"

"We have," Quill assured her – although he thought it was nice of her to offer. They knew what she was capable of, after all – but they didn't want to share their loot. "He's going to be extremely generous."

"What if he isn't?" Peter asked, curiously, suddenly worried.

"Then we keep the stone and sell it to the highest bidder," Rocket said. He looked at Peter, and he winked – an odd gesture coming from a racoon. "Don't worry, kid," he said, confidently. "The collector would be the highest bidder. I guarantee he wants that stone."

"And all of the rest," Drax added. "You should allow us to take the others, as well. They would be protected, there."

"And we'd get double the payout," Rocket added.

"I am groot."

The young tree looked disapproving, and Rocket rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't serious. Relax. I know they have to be separated."

There had been a few long conversations about the destiny of the other stones and why Tony had no intention of allowing any more to stay on Earth – even if they were carefully guarded. They didn't know how to return the soul stone, yet, but they'd have a chance to sort it out once their guest had gone with the reality stone. Stark figured if nothing else, Wong might be able to figure that mystery out. It was what he did, after all.

He didn't know, exactly, what to do with the power stone, either, since the people who had once guarded it were now decimated. But, again, they'd figure it out. Quill and the guardians had already promised that no one would learn from there about Peter's ability to harness the stones' power, or the origin of the brilliant light that was still making its way across the universe as far as they knew.

"What time do you guys want to leave, tomorrow?" Tony asked, knowing that Fury was interested in the answer, as well.

Of course, so was everyone else.

"Right at sunrise," Quill replied. "We'll vanish into the sun and keep anyone from seeing us go." He hesitated, though, and looked at Pepper. "I do have a request, though," he added. "So I'd like to talk to you – privately – if you have a minute, later."

"I'm free, now," she told him.

"We're going to go set up the tent for the boys," Tony said, instinctively aware that the request that Quill had for Pepper didn't have anything to do with Twinkies and Ding Dongs. "Coming, Steve?"

"I am," Rogers said, smiling. "If I don't, the tent will probably collapse in the middle of the night while they're sleeping in it."

"I'm better than that…" he stood up and looked at his son, who was grinning, too. "Tell him, Peter. Our tent never fell during the camping trip."

"Because I put it up," Stephen reminded him.

"What? You're misremembering."

"Let's go find out…" Strange said, standing, as well.

Soon everyone but Fury, Pepper, Quill and Gamora were heading out the door. A lot of helpers for one little tent, but everyone was definitely interested. Especially Groot, who had every intention to get himself invited to sleep out with the others that night.

"Is everything alright?" Pepper asked Quill when they were gone and the room was silent.

"Yes," he looked a little hesitant, but Gamora put her hand on his, clearly reassuring him. Or bolstering him, Pepper thought. "I just want to make a side trip, and I didn't want there to be a big fuss about it. I thought you might be the one to ask, and then you could decide how best to get me there."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Missouri."


	153. Chapter 153

Pepper's gaze was soft and understanding as she listened to Quill's reasons for wanting to go on a thousand mile road trip the night before they were planning on blasting off into space and leaving the planet for an unknown amount of time. When he was done – and it hadn't taken long, even with his hesitance – she nodded.

"I think it's a great idea," she told him. "But you're not going to get there by car. Not there and back in one night."

"Is it far?" Gamora asked.

Pepper nodded, pulling out her phone and brining up the 3D representation. It was a map of the United States. She highlighted where they were, and then where he wanted to go.

"It's too far by car," she replied. "But we're not limited to cars. There's a jet that could make the trip in an hour – and I imagine if we asked, Stephen would be willing to portal you in, which would be instantaneous."

"I don't want to make a big deal out of it," Peter told her, uncertainly. "I mean, she isn't really going to know if I stopped in and visited her, after all. I was just thinking that it might be nice."

"And I agree, completely." She lifted her head, just a little, talking into thin air, next. "Friday? Will you ask Tony and Stephen to come back here, please, when they're free?"

She looked at Peter.

"You don't mind if I tell them _why_ you want to go to Missouri?"

Quill looked somewhat surprised by her willingness to make the trip happen, but he shook his head.

"No. Of course not."

"Not _everyone_, though," Gamora said.

"No. Only those who need to know to make it happen."

Before she could do more than ask if Peter knew where she was buried, Tony and Stephen walked into the lounge. They didn't look concerned, only curious, so Friday must have relayed that it wasn't an emergency that had made her summon them.

"How's it going out there?" Pepper asked when the two men joined them.

"Peter and Ned are trying to explain to Rocket why they want to sleep outside, and we've somehow managed to lose all the tent stakes since our trip," Tony replied. He looked at Quill. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah."

He looked at Pepper, who understood the look and explained to the two newcomers what they wanted to do. It didn't take long, of course, and Tony understood the need for closure as well as anyone. He looked at Strange, well aware that he was going to be the one that needed to make it happen.

The sorcerer was willing, of course; despite the way he rolled his eyes when called upon to provide the immediate access to the longer distance transportation, he was a friend and that's what friends did. Even when it wasn't exactly a friend who they were doing it for. The guardians had helped save the universe, after all.

There was only one problem.

"I can't make a portal to somewhere I haven't been," he reminded Tony.

"We can take you in the jet," Stark said, looking at Peter. "It's not that far, really."

"Or…" Stephen continued, smoothly. "We have Peter pop over with the teleportation stone, find a good place out of sight and I lock onto his GPS and then make a portal."

"What teleportation stone?" Peter asked. "I don't-"

"Wrong Peter," Tony interrupted, with a slight smile – although he looked a little uneasy. "That would probably work."

"It would," Stephen said. "He doesn't need to have been somewhere to teleport there. He just needs to be able to tell the stone where he wants to go and have the place in his mind."

Tony hesitated.

"What about Nutmeg?" he asked, bringing up a new display which immediately found the kitten's location in the compound. An instant later, it showed the control room, with Nutmeg attacking a stylus one of the SHIELD agents was sliding along the table in front of him. "We're sure summoning the stone isn't going to make it rip through his little belly?"

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about…" Quill told them.

"Yeah… it's _complicated_. Sorry."

"Nutmeg will be fine," Strange assured Tony. "Call Peter. We'll see if he's willing."

"He'll do it," Tony said. The boy would understand even better than Tony did, after all. How many times had they had to go to his parents' gravesites to bring him home? Not to mention all the times he went to say hello when he wasn't sleepwalking. He lifted his watch and called his son, simply asking him to come to the lounge for a moment. Then he looked at Quill. "What's her name?"

"Meredith. Quill."

By the time Peter made his way into the lounge to join them, the billionaire had had Friday look through private records to find the cemetery where Quill's mother was buried, and bring up live security camera feeds of the place to get an idea of what they were looking for. Even in Missouri, they didn't appreciate people running around cemeteries at night, so there were plenty of camera angles to choose from.

They quickly explained to Peter what they wanted, and he – not surprisingly – was more than willing to help.

"Now?" he asked, looking at the display that Tony had brought up, showing the closest area to Meredith Quill's marker.

Tony looked at Quill, who appeared a little overwhelmed, just then.

"The pace is open, now," he said. "No one would look twice at us if we go, now. But we can wait until dark, if you'd rather, and sneak in."

"Cemeteries are creepy at night," Peter replied. "Everyone knows that. If we can do it, now, that'd be best."

Before he lost his nerve.

"It won't hurt Nutmeg?" Peter asked Strange.

"No. The stone comes from one location to another instantaneously. There's no linear movement."

"He's right," Alec agreed.

Peter trusted Stephen, but it didn't hurt to have the confirmation. The boy closed his eyes for a second, and a moment later they all heard a soft thump when the stone landed against the brace on his right hand. He closed his fist over it.

"Be careful, okay?" Tony said, feeling just a twinge of concern, now, even though Peter had long since proven that he was very good at moving around with the teleportation stone. "Friday will interfere with the security cameras, but we don't want anyone to see you, so find someplace out of the way."

"Here," Strange told them, pointing at a small wooded area, just off to the side of the screen. It was next to a squared off marble building about the size of a tool shed, and there weren't any people close by. "Can you go there?"

"Now?" He asked, looking at Tony for permission.

"Yes."

"What's-"

Before Peter could even get the question out, the boy was gone, startling him and Gamora, both. She started, looking alarmed, and reaching for her weapon, certain that something terrible had happened. The earthlings didn't look concerned, though – Tony hadn't even looked at the empty space the boy had just occupied. Instead, he was looking at the display – and Strange and Pepper were, as well.

"There he is," Tony said, softly.

Quill and Gamora looked at the screen, as well, and sure enough, they saw Peter walking out from behind the marble shed and looking around, and then up at the camera.

"How did he do that?" Quill asked, amazed and not bothering to hide it.

"We'll explain later," Tony promised. "You got a lock on him, Stephen?"

"Whenever we want. But tell him to go back behind that mausoleum and let us know if it's clear."

Tony did as he was told, lifting his wrist to talk into his watch, and then watching the display as Peter vanished back behind the building once more. A moment later, Tony's watch beeped, softly.

"That's our cue," he said, standing up.

Pepper and Stephen stood, also – as did Quill – but Gamora knew that she couldn't pass as human, and didn't want to try. She stayed in her seat, but smiled up at Peter.

"I'll be here when you're back."

He nodded, understanding that she wasn't rejecting the idea of coming with him, just accepting that she was different from the other people on the planet. Although he knew she wasn't as odd as some of the natives, even. Star Lord moved to stand next to Tony and Pepper, and a moment later Stephen had the portal created and they all stepped through.

OOOOOO

Peter met them, stepping out from behind a tree.

"Smoothly done, son," Tony said, automatically checking the boy for any sign of injury or discomfort from using the stone. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Nutmeg's okay?"

"He's fine." While they'd been sitting at the table, Tony had located the area of the cemetery where Peter's mother had been buried, and he looked at the man, who was looking around them. "She's over this way," he said, pointing. "The fifth marker on the left side of the walk."

"Thank you." He hesitated, though, and Pepper could see a hint of the boy that he must have been when he'd had his mother so cruelly taken from him. She saw that same look in Peter's expression at time, still. "I'm not sure what to do…" he admitted.

"I'll show you," Peter told him, recognizing the similarities in their situations – and definitely feeling for the man. "Come on."

He moved toward the stone marker, and after just a moment, quill followed. The others held back, though, respecting his privacy.

Peter stopped in front of the marker, looking down at it. It was black marble, with her full name, and the usual dates. As well as a short epitaph.

"Beloved mother and daughter…" he read, softly.

"Yeah."

Peter smiled up at Star Lord, and then knelt down, moving a couple of dried flowers. Someone obviously still visited, occasionally, because there were signs of upkeep and memorials.

"My parents have _white_ marble," Peter told him. "But the black is pretty nice, too." He turned his attention to the stone, again. "Hey, Mrs. Quill. I'm Peter. Peter _Parker_, though. We've never met, but I know your son. We thought we'd come by and say hello."

Quill knelt down next to the boy, sliding his hand along the cool marble, too.

"Hi, mom. How are you doing?" He asked, suddenly feeling a closeness to her that he hadn't felt in a very long time. "I met dad… and we killed him for what he did to you. For what he did to all of us."

There wasn't an answer, of course, but there didn't need to be. The younger Peter knew that, already. He'd spent hours leaning against cool white marble stones, talking with his folks, and May, and telling them what was going on in his life. He stayed with Quill, just being there in case he faltered, and listening as the man told his mother about what he'd been doing, and the others that he spent his time with – including Gamora, who he assured his mother was an amazing person, even if she did have a bit of a reputation for being a killer, and maybe had started out with a rough start.

It was almost a full hour before he finally wound down on his narrative, and fell silent, looking down at the marker for another long moment, before looking at Peter.

"Thank you."

The boy smiled.

"You're welcome." He looked over his shoulder, noticing that Tony, Pepper and Stephen had all walked off a short distance while they were waiting, probably looking at the various markers and the other stones or monuments. Peter closed his eyes and concentrated, and before Quill could ask him what he was doing, a single lilac branch appeared in his hand. "Here…" he said, handing it to Star Lord. "You should leave her something to remember your visit."

"How did you do that?" Peter asked, taking it from him, and shocked out of his silent moodiness by the action.

"_Magic_," came the reply. "Don't tell anyone, alright? I'm in enough trouble, already; I don't want to get grounded more than I am."

"Yeah…" Quill took the branch and set it on the marble. Then he stood up. "Let's go. I have a galaxy to keep exploring – and a rock to return."


	154. Chapter 154

Ned and Natasha were in the lounge playing cards when they returned to the compound. Both of them looked over at the new arrivals, and Peter saw that Natasha had Nutmeg in her lap, and even as he walked over, the kitten made a move for one of her cards, hooking it neatly with a claw and dragging it from her hand to bring it close enough for him to try and chew on it. Groot was sitting at the table, as well, but his attention was on the hand-held video game he was playing, while Rocket and Gamora were at the next table over. Rocket had an alien version of a tablet in his hands, looking at something complicated, while Gamora was sharpening a knife – reminding everyone who saw it of Natasha when she did the same thing to pass time.

"Who's winning?" Peter asked as they joined them – although Quill moved over to the other table, smiling a greeting to Gamora.

"She is," Ned lamented. "But I beat her at chess."

"Which is why we are playing cards," Romanoff pointed out. She frowned, looking at Peter. "You look tired."

"A little," he admitted, shrugging. "I'm okay, though."

Using the teleportation stone took a little out of him, and truthfully, he hadn't slept well the night before, being excited about flying in the Milano, and seeing Shuri and everything else that was going on.

"We got the tent set up," Ned told him. "The sleeping bags are in it. We left a space," he added. "I case we are able to set up a Bunsen burner to toast marshmallows and make s'mores."

Stark looked at Pepper, and saw that she wasn't any more certain about just how good of an idea that was than he was.

"Jury's still out on that one, guys," Tony told them.

Peter and his friend both nodded. They weren't surprised that it would need some thought – and maybe a couple of pairs of big, hopeful eyes? Ned used his all the time with his mom – and it worked, sometimes – but Peter wasn't as good at it, having had a lot less practice.

"Aren't you worried about bugs getting into your sleeping bags, leaving them out like that?" Pepper asked.

Ned frowned.

"I _wasn't_," he replied. Then he shrugged. "I zipped the tent door. The _big_ ones can't get in."

"Unless they snuck in while you and Steve were setting it up," Tony added. "Then you're sleeping with them, tonight."

"Don't want that," Peter said, smiling.

He was _Spiderman_, yes, but that didn't mean he wanted to sleep with them – or with anything else that might want to sneak into the sleeping bag.

"Not to mention the little ones can be less obvious but more annoying," Strange added.

Tony looked at his watch.

"There's a little time before dinner," he said, looking at Peter. "Why don't you go take a nap and get some rest?"

By now Peter had learned that while it was a suggestion, it was also a _strong_ suggestion. Not quite an order, but something that Tony (and Pepper) would really prefer that he did. The only time that they used it, for the most part, was when they thought that he was dragging, so he couldn't even be annoyed by it. Tony didn't play the dad card too often when it came to this kind of thing, after all – and Peter liked having a dad, now, and was willing to allow it, sometimes.

"Especially if you're going to sleep out, tonight, and get up early to watch the guardians leave," Natasha added, throwing her own considerable influence over him into the subject.

Peter forced himself not to roll his eyes; instead, he just nodded. No sense arguing, really. He _was_ a little tired and he didn't want to be worn out that night.

"I think I will."

He looked at Ned, hesitating, because he had already left him to his own devices while they went to Missouri, and now he was talking about taking off, again. He wasn't being much of a host, and he knew it.

Luckily his friend could read him better than any of the others – and almost as well as Alec, who did it from the inside. Ned shook his head.

"I was just waiting for you to make sure everything is okay. I think I'm going to take a nap, too."

"My couch-"

"Outside in the _tent_," Ned told him, grinning. He knew Peter was tired, and knew if they were both in his rooms, they wouldn't sleep. Not with all the things that they could do, instead. "I'll try it out, and see which side doesn't have the giant rock under it before tonight."

Peter smiled, not fooled, but appreciating it.

"Okay." He looked at Nutmeg, but Natasha wasn't about to give the kitten away, just then, and her expression plainly told him that he'd have to fight her for him. The boy smirked. "Don't let me sleep through dinner."

"We won't," Tony assured him, making a shooing motion with his hand, dismissively – although there was nothing but love in his expression.

Peter left, alone and kittenless, and went to his quarters, thinking back on the conversation that he'd listened to Quill have with his mother, and all of the somewhat similar ones that he'd had with his own. Rather than make him sad, or melancholy, he was smiling when he reached his door, crossed through the living room and into his bedroom to flop down on the bed without even removing his shoes. It was good to keep in touch with them, and he was glad that he'd shown Peter what to do.

Without anything pressing on him to keep him awake, and the gentle exhaustion that comes with using the teleportation stone lingering, Peter was asleep in only minutes, and his dreams were only of planets.

OOOOOOO

"You don't _have_ to sleep in the field," Pepper told Ned when Peter had left. "There are plenty of VIP rooms you could use."

"No. I want to," Ned assured her. "I can sleep in a bed, anytime. I won't have another chance to sleep in a tent for months, probably."

"Good point," Tony agreed. He gave a sideling look at Strange. "Maybe we'll take Stephen and go camping during a school break, before it gets too cold."

"Maybe monkeys will suddenly sprout from my rear end," the sorcerer replied, picking up the cards that Ned and Natasha had been playing with.

Natasha snorted, amused, and Tony turned his attention to Ned.

"You know where to find us if you need us."

"Yup."

"Go on, then. Have fun, but stay in the area."

He said he was going to go take a nap, yes, but Ned was intelligent, and that meant easily distracted, sometimes. Nothing had more distractions than the Avengers compound, after all.

"I will."

He got up and left, too, and the others in the lounge separated into smaller groups. Groot moved over to a sofa to make room for the newcomers – and to avoid being distracted from his video game – while Quill and Gamora left without a word, and Tony and Pepper shuffled themselves to make teams for cards.

It was Saturday, after all, and that meant downtime whenever possible.

Tony frowned when the cards were dealt, and he held up a Jack of diamonds that showed plain signs of small and pointy toothmarks.

"Why is my card _gnawed_ on…?"

Nutmeg just ignored the reproachful look and waited for a chance to steal another card from Natasha's hand.


	155. Chapter 155

"Should we go check on them?"

Tony hesitated, looking out into the darkness of the night at the soft glow coming from the far end of the training field. A glow that was a product of a couple of battery-powered lanterns and a Bunsen burner that had been placed in a specially designed fireproof holder, which was designed to detect and control the flow of the flame and damp it immediately, if something was off.

He shook his head.

"No. They're old enough to be trusted to make good decisions." The billionaire looked at the kitten that had been handed to him when Peter and Ned had gathered some tings and headed for the field as night was beginning to fall. "Unlike certain kittens I know…"

The two turned their attention back to the others.

They were in the lounge and there had been something of an informal farewell party for the guardians. Dinner had been a boisterous affair, and there was alcohol being consumed – although everyone was being careful not to get too inebriated. Steve, Strange and Carol were sitting with Peter Quill and Rocket, while Gamora and Drax were sitting with Wong, Fury and Bruce. Groot was out in the tent with Peter and Ned – and by now they were probably gorging on s'mores.

"This collector guy," Steve was saying when Tony and Pepper returned from looking out the window and seated themselves at the table. "He's just going to hand you over a couple of bags of money? Or is it an electronic thing? Like direct deposit?"

"He'll pay in credits," Rocket explained, looking at Pepper, who was seated closest to him, now. "It's a chit that is a bearer note, indicating that the money is owed. So we can use the chit anywhere and collect all of it at once, or arts of it at a time."

"He's good for it, too," Quill said, smugly, at the thought of the bargaining that they'd be doing for the reality stone. "We're going to be able to write our own check for this one."

"We definitely owe Peter," Rocket agreed. "Kid's going to make us rich."

"So, no more being space pirates?" Pepper asked, reaching out and brushing her fingertips against Rocket's whiskers, automatically, wiping away a couple of drops of the beer that he'd been drinking. "You could settle down and become honest businessmen…"

"That's boring," Rocket told her, not at all offended at her audacity to touch him – although it wasn't something that he was used to having done to him, either. "We-"

"Are not space pirates," Quill interjected, smoothly. "That's just a rumor."

Carol smirked.

"And if it enhances your reputation and allows you to charge more for your services, you're all for it, right?"

"Absolutely," he said, looking a little smug. "It looks bad if we call ourselves that, but if _others_ do… well, who are we to tell them not to?"

"So where are you going to tell him you found the stone?" Strange asked, curiously. "I assume you're going to leave Peter and the Earth out of it?"

"Yeah." Quill nodded. "I talked to Peter about where he found Sirah, and got an idea of what the place looked like. We'll say that we happened by, stopping there to get supplies or something, and found the spaceship crashed, the girl badly injured."

"She lives long enough to tell us who she is and where she's from, hands us the stone and says her master will reimburse us for returning it. We promise her we'll return it and drop her on some planet where they can try and heal her," Rocket said. "And then take the stone back to the collector for our reward."

"Sounds like a good story," Tony said, approving.

"What if he doesn't believe it, though?" Pepper asked.

"He doesn't have any reason to doubt it," Rocket said. "The guy's smart, but he's obsessive enough to not care where we got the stone; he's just going to be happy to get it back."

Pepper looked worried, though, and they all noticed.

Rocket smiled, touched by the concern. He reached out and patted her hand, reassuringly.

"We're going to be fine. He wants his stone. We'll name a price that's ridiculously high, he'll counter – maybe – and we'll end up settling. It's all good."

"Does he have a lot of security? People he could send after you to get the stone and then take his payment back?"

Showing her suspicious side.

"He's been around forever," Gamora said, having heard the last part of the conversation as she walked over to sit beside Quill. "His network is impressive, but he's not a threat. Neither are his people."

"They're nothing we can't handle, Pepper," Quill agreed.

"But if you run into any problems, you'll call?"

She knew that the Avengers wouldn't be much help, of course, and she knew that the guardians had been taking care of themselves all this time… but still…

"I'll go with them," Carol offered, looking at Peter to see what he thought of the idea. "I can pose as one of their crew, make sure things don't go south and then, once they're on their way, I'll come back here and report on it so we all know we don't have anything to worry about."

"We're not paying you," Rocket said.

Danvers smirked.

"I don't need you to."

"We accept," Gamora told her. She wasn't worried about the Collector, either. And she knew Carol wanted to get out and take a look at what kind of effects the light unleashed at the death of Thanos was having on the rest of the universe. The Collector would know. "Thank you."

Quill frowned, and Rocket scowled, but neither said anything to reject the idea. Steve was aware of why Carol wanted to go, also, and he didn't even frown at the plan. He just nodded. Best of all, Pepper looked relieved, well aware that the addition of Carol would make all the difference if something unexpected happened.

"No uniform," Peter reminded her, shrugging. "We're not an organized outfit."

She nodded.

"I can blend in." Danvers looked at Steve. "I'm going to go pack."

He nodded, too.

"I'll come with you."

OOOOOO

"I am groot?"

"I'm not sure…" Peter admitted, watching as his marshmallow caught fire and started to turn black.

"What did he say?" Ned asked, curiously.

"He wanted to know who made the first s'more and why someone thought they'd put the three ingredients together…"

"Probably a boy scout," Ned answered, taking a bite out of the one he'd just created. The boy was looking pretty pleased; they'd been allowed a flame to make their s'mores (with the promise that they were careful – and the addition of a fire extinguisher – and now they were sitting on their sleeping bags in the tent, listening to the sounds of the night, outside. "They probably had a few different leftovers from a camping trip on their last night and just threw it all together."

Peter nodded, and then had to explain to Groot what a boy scout was.

"You're going to MJ's, tomorrow?" Ned asked when Peter was done.

"When we drop you off," Peter confirmed. "But we'll go do something; the park, or maybe an arcade. Something like that."

"That's a good idea. She's been worried about you."

Peter shrugged.

"Mad at me, anyway."

Ned nodded.

"Yeah. She's worried. You know how that works."

Peter sighed.

"Yeah."

He knew, alright.


	156. Chapter 156

It wasn't a large group that was at the edge of the field to see the guardians off very early the next morning.

That was by design, though. Most of the goodbyes had been said the night before, but Tony, Pepper, Peter, Ned, and Steve were there, watching as final supplies were loaded – including a very large supply of junk food that had been taken care of with a simple trip to a larger grocery store. Easy on Earth, but much harder when you were flying around the edges of the galaxy.

"You know where to find us, now…" Tony told the guardians, offering Quill his hand. "Don't be strangers."

"We won't." He smirked. "We'll run out of Ding Dongs eventually and will need to come get more."

"Plenty of ding dongs in this ship," Gamora said, smiling as Tony offered her his hand, too.

Pepper wasn't nearly as formal. She hugged Peter, and Gamora – who tensed for just a moment and then allowed the gesture and even returned it. Drax seemed to welcome the embrace, and Mantis was wallowing in the warmth of the emotions of the people around her. Pepper knelt down in front of Rocket who turned his head, slightly, as if unaffected by all the sentimentality going on around him.

Which made Pepper smile.

"I'm _going_ to hug you," she told him. "You can let me, or I can do it against your will and make it last even longer."

Rocket looked up at Tony, who was watching Peter talking to Groot.

"You married this woman, willingly?"

"Absolutely," he confirmed. "Hug her," he suggested. "Otherwise she might decide to _kiss_ you, too."

"Humans are weird…"

He didn't look at all annoyed, though, when Pepper gathered him into her arms and hugged him, close, and if his cheek pressed against her neck for a moment and his grip tightened as his arms went around her as much as they could? Well that was just to make sure she didn't hold him too tightly and smother him, right? Peter finished saying goodbye to Groot and looked at Quill and Gamora.

"Thank you for coming to save me…"

Both adults smiled at the boy.

"You could always come with us," Quill told him with an amused expression. "Leave this squalor behind and come be my sidekick. _I'd_ never ground you…"

Peter grinned, glancing at Tony, who rolled his eyes, also amused.

"The _allowance_ is pretty good… can you make me a better offer?"

Pepper smiled, letting Rocket go with a kiss pressed gently against his furry cheek, not at all concerned about the razer sharp teeth that could do serious harm being so close to her face, and then standing and putting her hand on her son's shoulder, possessively.

"You can't keep him," she told the guardians. "We need him here."

"For comic relief, if nothing else," Tony added.

The boy shrugged, and then reached into his pocket, pulled out a small device and handed it over to Quill.

"Here, I made this for you."

"What is it?" he asked, looking down at it, curiously, realizing even as he asked that the thing looked like it had an adapter that would fit the interface of the Milano. "A file…?"

"I had Karen pull and save all the classic rock music from her files – which means pretty much all the classic rock in the world, including the stuff we were listening to on the way to get corndogs. It'll interface with your systems, so you can listen to it if you're in the mood for something different, sometimes."

Quill smiled, touched. He hugged the boy, roughly, and let him go with a slap on the back.

"Thanks, Peter. That's _awesome_."

"You mean we will be able to listen to something other than those songs that we've been listening to for the last couple of years?" Rocket asked, looking at Peter (the younger one).

"If you want."

He just wanted to give the older man a way to have access to all the music from his childhood – and maybe his _mom's_ childhood.

"Give me a hug, kid, before I decide I have to kiss you, and ruin my reputation for being a hard-ass."

Peter laughed and leaned down, hugging the raccoon, a little awkwardly, since he really wanted to pick him up and cuddle him like a teddy bear. He felt the toddler inside doing a happy dance at the contact, and squeezed Rocket for just a moment longer before letting him go.

Gamora stepped forward and hugged the boy, as well.

"It was nice to meet you, Peter," she told him. "Thank you for what you did."

He wasn't sure if that meant killing her madman of an adoptive father, or the music file, and he didn't ask. He just returned the hug with a cheerful smile, and felt her press a kiss against his cheek that made him blush, unaccountably.

"You're welcome," he said, pulling away and stepping back to stand between Tony and Pepper, near Ned and the others.

Quill nodded, and looked around, breathing the fresh air, deeply, another long moment.

"I'll be back," he told them. "And it won't be so long between visits, next time."

"_We'll_ be back, too," Drax agreed, moving to stand with his people, and joined by Groot. "I like this place."

"Good." Tony looked at Quill. "You have Friday's frequency. Keep in touch."

"We will."

There was another spat of goodbyes and then the space pirates headed for the Milano, joined by Carol, who hugged Steve. They all saw the kiss that followed, and Stark was glad that he had put his glasses on after the last goodbye, having decided to have Friday do a final scan of the spaceship's system to make sure everything was in order.

Clint and Natasha would definitely want to see that.

Steve smiled at Carol as he let her go, and moved to stand by Ned. The group watched as they vanished into the ship, and the hatch closed. Tony stepped back a little, pulling Peter with him and followed by the others to allow a safety zone. The ship's engines fired up and in the silence of the morning it rose in the air ungainly and was gone in a flare of thrusters and a somewhat muffled sonic boom.

"That was so _awesome_…" Ned said, shaking his head and smiling. He looked over at Peter. "You're the _best_ best friend someone could ever have. You _know_ that, right?"

Peter smiled.

"One of the most interesting ones, anyway."

Stark wasn't the only one to smile at that.

"What are you boys going to do, now? Stay up? Or go back to bed?"

Peter looked at his watch. It was only just six in the morning, and they'd had enough sugar the evening before that they'd ended up staying up fairly late. Ned didn't even bother looking at him to see what he wanted to do.

"I'm going back to sleep. In the _tent_," he added, before someone could suggest that it get taken down.

He wanted to see if he could wake up with deer grazing around him in the morning – although they almost certainly were scared off by the launch, quiet as it was.

Tony looked at Peter.

"I'm going to go send an email to Shuri," the boy replied. And see if she'd sent one to him – or if anyone _else_ had. It was so weird not to have his phone and the instant communication with all of the people he knew. "Just to make sure she's taking her medicine and to see how she's feeling. Then I might go back to sleep, too. In the _tent_."

"You do that." He took Pepper's hand, but he was still looking at the boys. "We're leaving for brunch at 10:00. Ned? We're taking you home from there, so make sure you're packed."

"I will. Thanks."

Tony looked at Steve.

"You realize Romanoff and Barton will pay me good money to see the lip lock that I just recorded you and Danvers sharing…?"

Rogers smiled, and they could all see the slight blush that tinged his cheeks.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Stark..." he said, turning to walk toward the building. "You're seeing things…"

"I'm not the _only_ one who saw it."

"I _saw_ it," Ned added, looking pleased – and cheerful at the fact that he was teasing Captain America. That never got old, after all. "It was right out of a movie… '_here's looking at you kid_,' and all that…"

"There's probably some swamp gas leaking around here, or something," Rogers told them all. "You're all delusional."

Tony smirked, but didn't argue with him. He winked at Pepper, and they started walking back to the building, as well.

"We'll see you in a few hours," he told the boys. "Stay out of trouble."

Ned and Peter waited until the adults were all gone, before heading for the tent.

"He sure says that a lot," Ned pointed out.

"Yeah. Makes you wonder how much trouble we'd get into if he _didn't_ say it."

They both grinned at that.

"Do we have any marshmallows left?"

It was never too early for a sugar rush, after all.

"Yeah."


	157. Chapter 157

"You sure you don't want us to drop you somewhere?"

Peter shook his head, getting out of the car, and closing the door behind him, careful not to jar his injured hand – although it wasn't so sore that morning. He was still in the brace, though, and would be until further notice.

"No. Thanks, though. We'll take the train."

"We'll be at the tower if you need anything," Tony told him.

Not _working_, though. It was Sunday, after all, and they were going to enjoy the weekend, but Tony wanted to see what Pepper's people had set up for Peter's homeschooling in her office. Then they'd spend some time together, giving their son the rest of the afternoon to spend with MJ. There wasn't any sense in them driving all the way back to the compound, though. Not when they had the tower to occupy themselves.

"Okay."

He waved and they watched as he walked into the building where the girl lived, and then drove away.

"He looks nervous," Tony noted.

Of course, they'd noticed that all morning.

They'd met the boys in the garage to go to brunch. Ned and Peter hadn't gone back to sleep, after, having been too excited by the departure of the Milano – and helped along by a new batch of sugar in their systems from the remaining marshmallows and chocolate. They'd run out of graham crackers the night before. Instead, they'd discussed the coming week and Peter's upcoming homeschooling, Ned's classes and what he was enjoying most about them, the rebuilding of the Pontiac – and Peter's upcoming afternoon with MJ.

Which was what had Peter so nervous.

He was hoping for a good time, and maybe a chance for them to reconnect a little, but he hadn't had a lot of chance to actually talk to MJ, since he was grounded from his phone and they'd been only able to converse with somewhat stilted emails the past few days.

Pepper nodded her agreement, looking over her shoulder as they left, even though she couldn't see the boy, any longer.

"Yes, he does. Poor baby."

Brunch had been a good time, even though it was only Tony, Pepper and the boys that morning. The others had had things that they needed to do and had begged off for that weekend, but they still had a good time. Ned was always fun company and the boys were both interested in what Pepper planned to do with the Rescue suit, now that there wasn't a desperate need for it. Tony had already started up plans for an AI that wasn't Friday and wasn't Vision.

Pepper had cast a sly glance at him and mentioned she might want a male themed AI since he and Peter both had female ones. He'd simply rolled his eyes and said that he'd ponder the notion. Which Ned pointed out sounded a lot like his mom before she said no to something crazy that he'd asked her to let him do.

Stark had feigned annoyance and had sent Ned off to fetch him another piece of pie before they left to head into the city.

OOOOOOO

It was MJ who answered the knock on the apartment door, and she smiled when she saw him.

"Hi, Peter."

He smiled, too.

"Hey. How are you?"

"Good." She stepped to the side, gesturing for him to enter. "Come inside. Mom and dad want to say hi."

And to make sure they knew what the two were planning on doing that afternoon.

"Okay."

The greetings were friendly, and he was a little less nervous when they left a few minutes later. It was supposed to sprinkle later, but they were much more prepared for that eventuality, this time, since both were carrying umbrellas. It was still sunny, though, when they reached the park, and were finally able to escape the crush of people who were also out and about on a Sunday.

"How have you been?" Peter asked, as they chose a pathway to walk on. One that purposely wasn't the same one that they'd encountered the mobsters on months ago. "Are you getting ready for academic decathlon?"

She'd sent him an email telling him that she had already received the schedule, and had warned him that practice was going to be starting, soon, asking if he was going to be able to join them. His reply had been instant, and affirmative.

"Good." She nodded. "We're just waiting for the freshmen signups," MJ told him. "Then we'll set practice times. I'll make sure you have the schedule."

"Okay."

"How was brunch?"

"Good. It was just me, Ned, Tony and Pepper."

"Where's everyone else?"

"Busy doing stuff to get ready for their week. Clint's at the farm, of course. Natasha was doing something with Stephen, and Steve is going over some data from last week."

"Is Carol still here?"

"She's gone, right now, but she'll be back." He smiled, pleased to have a little bit of harmless gossip. "She and Steve are a little bit of an item."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Wow."

"Yeah. They're a good match, I think."

"What's Shuri up to?"

"She has a cold. From coming and going between here and Wakanda so much, the doctors say. So she's stuck in bed for a few days."

"Oh." She looked at his hand, still encased in the brace. "How have you been?" she asked. "I mean, how's your hand? And your arm?"

"I'm okay. I swim and squeeze a rubber ball to strengthen it." He produced the ball and handed it to her. "It's _working_. I feel pretty good."

Most of the time.

MJ squeezed it, experimentally, and nodded. Then she hesitated, handing it back to him.

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you," she said, abruptly. "I was upset."

Peter nodded.

"I know. I mean, I could _tell_. I'm sorry, too."

She walked over to a picnic table and sat down on it, followed by Peter.

"It's hard," she said. "I'm used to knowing what's going on around me – I'm pretty observant, and even when people don't tell me things, I can usually figure it out – but it's different with you. _Obviously_. That drives me crazy, and I worry about you getting hurt."

"I know. You shouldn't, though." He sighed; he'd kind of hoped that they weren't going to have this conversation, just yet. He'd been looking forward to a fun afternoon with her, and it didn't really take his spider senses to tell him that this could go south, quickly, if he said the wrong thing. And he was pretty good at saying the wrong thing, he knew. "I know it's tough on you and you've had to deal with a lot of weird and terrible things because of knowing me. But I have a _lot_ of people already worrying about me and watching out for me, like I said before. I need _friends_, not protectors."

She scowled, clearly not appreciating a lecture in response to her apology.

"Friends are _supposed_ to worry about each other."

"I know. About how they're doing in school, and what they're wearing, or helping them with their classwork or how to beat the boss in the last level of whatever videogame they're playing."

"_You_ don't present those problems," MJ pointed out. "I have to worry about if you're going to do something dumb and get killed swinging through the city trying to be a hero."

He scowled.

"I'm not _trying_ to be a hero," he snapped, annoyed. "I _am_ one."

He'd save the universe, right? Even though she didn't know it, that had to count for something – and that wasn't even adding in all the things that he'd accomplished as _Spiderman_. Those she knew about, after all, and he was pretty good at it.

OOOOOOO

"This is nice…"

Tony smiled, looking out at the view of the city without getting off the sofa. He was comfortable, after all, and Pepper was cuddled up against his side. Both had kicked their shoes off and were enjoying a little quiet time, just the two of them.

"Yes, it is." He kissed her cheek, but it was more or less chaste, even though they figured they had several hours to kill. Plenty of time to goof around, of course, but both were more in the mood to simply be together, and comfortable enough with the other by then that they certainly didn't object to doing just that. "Did you have that talk with Romanoff?"

"I haven't had a chance, yet," Pepper admitted. "Something always comes up just when I think about it. I will, though."

"Think Stephen _proposed_?"

The assassin had been really cheerful, lately, and they'd all noticed – and were speculating on it. Well, the _adults_ were, anyway. He wasn't sure if Peter had noticed, as well, caught up as he'd been in how his hand and arm were healing and the aftermath of the whole Thanos thing.

"Wouldn't _that_ be interesting?" she speculated, smiling. "Superspy and sorcerer. Things would be-"

"_Incoming call from Peter,"_ Friday announced, integrated into the room, since they were in the tower.

"What?" Tony sat up a little, alert as always when something was out of the ordinary. He'd expected to have silence from that department for at least a couple more hours before they got the call to come get them. Which made visions of attempted kidnappings, or muggings, or even gangsters accosting the teens in the park come to mind, immediately. "Put him on. Peter?"

"_Yeah."_

"Everything okay, son?"

"_I'm done,"_ he said. _"You don't have to come get me, if you're not ready, though. I can go to the-"_

"No. We're just killing time, hanging out. Meet you at MJ's?"

"_No. I'm at the park. The west entrance."_

He frowned and looked at Pepper, who was already reaching for her shoes.

"We'll be there as soon as we can. Are you alright?"

"_Yeah."_

"Hang tight." The call ended and Tony looked at Pepper. "He didn't sound alright to me. You?"

"No."


	158. Chapter 158

It had started to rain by the time they arrived at the park entrance. More than a drizzle, but nothing so serious that either of them were watching for a guy in a robe to start gathering up animals two by two and shepherding them into a cruise ship, either. It was gray and chill, but they had no trouble spotting Peter, who was sitting on a bench near the sidewalk holding an umbrella against the rain.

He wasn't sitting next to MJ, however, which made them both frown, since the plan had been for them to come pick the kids up when they called and drop her off at home before they left the city for the tower. Instead, there was a scruffy looking fellow who was reading a book and enjoying the benefit of Peter's umbrella being big enough for two and that the boy didn't mind sharing. In fact, when he spotted the car before Tony had a chance to honk and alert him, Peter handed the umbrella to the other guy and after a brief exchange got up and headed to the car.

"Where's MJ?" Tony asked when the boy closed the door, and awkwardly buckled himself in using his braced hand.

"She took an Uber home," came the reply. "She said she'd text me when she got home, and I heard from her right before you pulled up."

"Did something come up at home?" Pepper asked. "Is everything alright?"

Peter shook his head, and they both could see that he looked down. He leaned his head against the window.

"She's mad. _Again_. Or _still_. I don't know."

It was clear he didn't want to talk about it, and the busy traffic in the city was distracting enough to Tony that he didn't press. Pepper _wanted_ to – only because it was upsetting to her to see him looking so sad – but she was in the front seat and not in a position to comfort him more than words could, and he was looking out the window, rather than at either of them. Obviously not interested in words.

"I'm sorry."

Peter nodded, not turning toward her.

"It's okay. Really. This one was my fault."

He shivered, slightly, and wrapped his arms around himself – and even distracted by traffic, Tony didn't miss that. The billionaire turned up the heat in the back, and the seat warmer the boy was enclosed in. Always a good way to get him to relax whether he wanted to or not, this time Stark was just doing it to make sure he didn't catch a cold on top of everything else.

"Do you want to stop anywhere?" Tony asked him, looking in the reflection of the mirror.

"No. I'm good. Thanks, though."

His voice was tired, and a little depressed, maybe, but he wasn't crying, so they decided that it wasn't as bad as the argument that had driven him to wrecking his car. They exchanged a glance that Peter didn't see, and Tony thumbed the audio system controls on the steering wheel, turning on the light jazz that lulled Peter to sleep quicker than anything else. It didn't hurt that he was short on sleep from the abbreviated evening with Ned. They both watched in their mirrors as they drove through the city and then out on to the highway heading north, Tony easily navigating the traffic on the road, as Peter's eyes closed, and he eventually fell asleep, injured hand still tucked under his left armpit.

Pepper looked back over her shoulder, confirming that he was truly asleep, her fingers itching to push his bangs back out of his face. They'd forgotten to get his haircut what with everything else that was going on that weekend.

"They certainly have a rocky relationship, don't they?" she whispered, to avoid disturbing their son's nap.

Tony nodded, reaching for her hand and putting it on his leg now that he was in cruising gear.

"The rocky ones sometimes have the best results, though…"

She smiled, well aware that he was talking about their own – which had been as rocky as it could be in some points.

"True."

Not all of them ended so well, however, and they both knew it.

OOOOOOO

He woke when they pulled into the garage, opening his eyes with a startled noise, and sitting up, looking around.

"You're fine," Tony told him, noticing even as he stopped the car and turned off the engine. "We're home."

"Oh." He rubbed his face, sleepily. "I had the weirdest dreams…"

Which made them both turn and look at him. Not surprisingly, really, since dreams had become something of a harbinger of things to come, sometimes, now, with him.

"What kind of dream?" Tony asked.

He was awake enough, now, to see their concern, and he shook his head.

"Nothing serious. _Weird_. Ned and I were talking about becoming space pirates and we stole the space shuttle from the display in DC and then tried to convince you that fixing it up would be a great idea."

Pepper frowned.

"How would that be a good idea?"

Peter shrugged.

"I told you it was weird. At the time it sounded pretty reasonable – and Ned was making some good arguments for it."

Tony rolled his eyes, more relieved that Peter's expression wasn't so bleak, and that the dream hadn't been something depressing – or scary.

"I can tell you _right now_," he said, opening the car door and prompting them all to do the same. "There is no argument that Ned – _or you_ – can make that will convince me to a) allow you to steal the space shuttle from DC – or anywhere _else_ – and b) fix it up so the two of you can become space pirates. Understood?"

The boy smiled.

"It was a pretty _good_ dream…"

"No." Tony held up his hand, wagging a finger at his son. "No space shuttles… no becoming a space pirate. I mean it."

Peter looked at Pepper, his expression purposefully turning entreating, and his eyes widening until they were huge and innocent and hopeful. It was remarkable.

"Mom…? Can Ned and I become space pirates…? _Please_?"

She chuckled, delighted at the display of playing one parent against the other – which wasn't something that he did, luckily, because he'd probably be very good at it. Pepper hugged him, careful of his hand, but squeezing him close to reaffirm with him that she loved him very much and was there for him if he needed her, later, when he was ready to discuss his problematic afternoon with MJ and whatever conversation had cut it short.

"Of _course_ you can, sweetheart," she crooned, making Tony roll his eyes, amused at the over the top baby talk. She smirked at him, pleased that she got to be the good guy, this time. "Momma will let you be anything you want to be. Including a space pirate."

The boy laughed, and hugged her for a long moment before letting her go.

"I'll think about it. We might come up with something better."

"You do that," Tony said. "Think about it while you're swimming."

Might as well get his therapy out of the way since he was home.

"Okay." He was awake enough, now, that he didn't mind the idea of a little exercise. The pool was pretty relaxing when there weren't a lot of lap swimmers and he had a lot to think about, really. "Are you playing lifeguard?"

"Friday? Is Natasha on site?"

"_In her quarters."_

Tony smirked, looking at Pepper, who shook her head, already knowing what the next question was going to be.

"_Alone?"_

"Yes."

"There's your lifeguard, then." They all knew that Romanoff had promised Peter a long time ago that she'd watch him anytime he was in the water, and even though that had really only been for his swimming lessons, she preferred to be there when he was wet. "Meet us for dinner at six."

"Alright."

They parted ways, then, with Tony and Pepper going toward their quarters – and then probably the lounge – while Peter headed for Natasha's to see if she minded watching him swim.

"_You didn't tell them about the stone,"_ Alec pointed out.

"That wasn't really a dream."

Kind of.

"_It's something that they're going to need to know."_

"They already know it," Peter replied. "And I'm probably not ready to make the trip, yet. Another day and I'll talk to them."

He wanted a night without any more stress than he was already feeling. Luckily, Alec agreed and let the subject drop.


	159. Chapter 159

There wasn't anyone in the pool when Peter came out of the locker room. Not surprising, considering it was Sunday afternoon and everyone was getting ready for a new week – or simply savoring the last of the weekend. Natasha was waiting for him, though, sitting on the benches that ran along the wall and smiling a greeting to him when he emerged – even though she'd been heading for the bench when he'd gone into the locker room only a few minutes before, having just arrived at the pool.

"In you go," she ordered, standing up and reaching for the life saving floatie that whoever was with him always kept close at hand.

She was wearing a bathing suit, but had no intention of getting wet if she could avoid it. She didn't say it aloud, though.

Peter was getting to be fairly competent in the water, but there was no reason to tempt fate, after all.

He dove into the deep end with a much larger splash that some of the others would have produced – although he did manage to avoid doing a belly flop. When he came up for air, he turned, double checking where he was and then swimming toward the far side with steady strokes that were only a little off-kilter because of him babying his sore hand, still.

Natasha was quiet while he swam, not wanting to distract him, but keeping track of how many laps he completed, since she knew that Stephen would ask. Only when he was somewhat sore did Peter finally stop, and he timed it so that he stopped right by where she was standing.

"I think that's it for today," he said, looking up at her.

"How does the hand feel?"

"Aches a bit," Peter admitted. "But I think it's doing pretty good. I was flexing the fingers, earlier, while waiting for Tony and Pepper to come get me, and it wasn't stiff at all – just a little sore."

"That's promising." She shifted and seated herself on the side of the pool, allowing her legs to dangle in the water while he caught his breath, still holding onto the side. "How did it go with MJ?"

Peter shrugged.

"We broke up. I think."

"You _think_?" She decided that he didn't look too upset about it. "What does that mean?"

"I'm not positive that we were really dating, anyway…" he said. "But if we were, we aren't, anymore."

"What happened?"

"She apologized for being a jerk and I said I was sorry, too. Then she said that she was just worried about me, and I told her not to worry, because other people worry about me, already, you know?"

"Yeah."

"And she said friends are supposed to worry about each other."

"Which is true."

"I know. And that's what I said. About school, and clothes, though. Not serious stuff."

"And she said…?"

"That those aren't the problems that I give her. She said that I make her worry about me getting killed trying to be a hero."

"Ouch."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I didn't help, though. Because I got a little mad and told her that I wasn't _trying_ to be a hero – and that I already was one."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, somewhat pleased with him for saying it – since as far as she was concerned, it was the truth and she was glad that _he_ realized it, too.

"I imagine that didn't go over well…"

"I expected her to freak out on me," Peter told her. "Maybe even storm off."

"What did she do?"

"She started to look mad, and opened her mouth like she was going to say something. And then she hesitated, and shrugged, and got a weird look on her face and nodded. She said that I was right; I _was_ a hero."

"She said that?"

"Yeah." He gave a small smile. "I was surprised, too."

"Then what?"

"We talked a little, and decided that we'd both be better off if we were just friends. She's still going to hang out with us at school and at competitions, but we're not going to be more than just friends. Then she won't have to worry about me so much. No more than _Ned_ does, anyway."

"That's pretty mature of you guys."

If they were able to actually _do_ it. Time would tell, she knew.

"Think so? I don't know," Peter said, shrugging. "But _she_ didn't look so mad when she left, and I don't feel quite as stressed out about us. She even hugged me. So I guess it's a good solution. I'm not really boyfriend material, anyway."

Natasha shook her head.

"I wouldn't give up, just yet," she told him. "There _are_ other girls out there, you know?"

"None that know who I am, already," he said. "And I'm not telling anyone else, if I can avoid it. It's too stressful."

She didn't bother pointing out that MJ wasn't the _only_ girl who knew who he was. Instead, she rolled her eyes. Teenaged boys were just clueless, sometimes, and it was a wonder they weren't all hit over the head by annoyed teenaged _girls_. Instead the deadly assassin just nodded, and splashed him with a swipe of her hand through the water near his face.

"Are you done swimming?"

"Yeah. Thanks for lifeguarding for me."

"You're welcome. What are you going to do, now?"

"Dry off and go brood, most likely."

Romanoff snorted, amused, but recognizing the truth to the statement.

"Why don't you dry off and then come hang out with me? I have a secret, and I'm dying to tell someone."

He looked interested, immediately, of course.

"Gossip?"

She smiled.

"I hope not. Which is why it's still a _secret_."

"Did Stephen propose?"

She looked startled by the question, and then Natasha chuckled. That, she knew, was being speculated about all over the compound. Her relationship with the sorcerer supreme was being scrutinized (from a careful distance) and it wasn't a secret. Which was fine, since she was joining in with everyone else who were scrutinizing Steve and Carol's relationship (what there was of it, so far) and had been monitoring Peter and MJ, as well. There was even talk that Bruce was seeing a woman he'd met at a conference in Atlanta – although that had yet to be confirmed.

"He did _not_," she told the boy, smiling at the slight disappointment she saw in his expression. "We're very happy where we are in our relationship, right now, and in no hurry to go any further at the moment."

"Would you ever _want_ to get married?" he asked, curiously, resting his chin on his injured hand, which was on the edge of the tile that ran the length of the inner area of the pool.

"Maybe. Someday." Romanoff reached out and touched his forehead, automatically looking for a fever that wasn't there – or maybe just wanting to touch him. "It used to be that it wasn't really something that interested me," she said. "Since I knew that I couldn't have children – and a person in my line of work doesn't really have time for them, anyway."

Not to mention the danger that the child would be in from the enemies she'd made through the years. Peter knew that, though, obviously. It went without saying.

"You could always adopt…"

Natasha's sudden smile was almost giddy.

"I _could_," she agreed. "But thanks to you, I have more options, now."

Not surprisingly, Peter looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"You can't tell anyone," she said, still smiling. "Not even Pepper or Tony."

"Is it _bad_?" he asked, looking worried. "Are you okay?"

To him you kept a secret to keep someone from worrying. It wasn't surprising to her that he immediately thought the worst. Romanoff's smile was warm, and not at all concerned.

"It's _wonderful_, baby. You won't tell?"

"No."

She made a show of looking around, dramatically, and leaned down a little more while he lifted his head to hear.

"You know the light that damaged your hand and healed the rest of the world…?"

"Yeah…?"

"It healed me, too."

"I know. Stephen said that you were on your feet before-"

"Not the injuries from the battle," she interrupted, her smile broadening. "It fixed what they did to me when I was a girl." He didn't understand, and she didn't make him ask. "In the red room, Peter. Your light cured the damage that my teachers did to make me infertile. I can have a baby, now, if I want to."

His eyes widened, and he glanced down toward her stomach, and then back up to her face.

"Are you _pregnant_?" he asked, suddenly looking excited. "Did you and Stephen-? I mean, is he-"

She quelled that with a hand over his mouth, so pleased that she couldn't contain the chuckle that bubbled up out of her.

"No. I'm not. But thanks to you, and what you did, I _could_ be. We're taking precautions to make sure I'm not. Something I never thought I'd have to worry about."

"Wow…" he smiled at how happy she looked. Maybe happier than he'd ever seen her. "That's great. Congratulations."

"Thank you." She wanted to hug him, but couldn't, since he was in the water and she had no intention of getting wet. "But it's still a secret."

"Does Stephen know?"

"Yes. He went with me when I had myself checked out. And then he did some research – because you know how much he likes to research things – and as near as we can tell, I'm the only one that had this happen to them. No other doctors anywhere in the world are reporting reversed hysterectomies or other surgeries for birth control, or medical purposes. Just me. It's my own little miracle. Thanks to you."

"Wow."

Stephen had speculated that Peter had known Natasha was injured when he'd focused the power of the stones during the snap and even though he wasn't concentrating on her, just then, it was almost a certainty that the mind stone was aware that he was worried about her and maybe the focus had been on making sure that she was healed – or maybe that she was happy and whole – and that the light had reacted to that concern to heal the one injury that had been done to her that had hurt her the most. He pointed out that they'd probably never know, and she'd said – honestly – that she didn't care.

"Yeah, wow," she agreed. "But like I said, it's still a secret."

"And no one's business…" Peter added, feeling proud that she told _him_, though.

That right there made all the pain of his hand and arm worth it.

"True." It'd get out, eventually, but she knew her friends would only be happy for her – and maybe start making suggestions about the patter of little ninja feet echoing through the compound. She did hug him, then, as well as she could with him still in the water. "Get showered and dried off and come hang out with me," she repeated – although now she didn't have the secret to tell him. "We'll find something to do to keep you occupied until dinner."

"Okay."

He didn't exactly leap out of the pool; his hand wouldn't let him do that, yet, but he was practically skipping once he'd hauled himself out of the water and headed for the locker room. Romanoff got up, as well, and picked up a towel to dry her legs and feet off, and then she went to go change, too.

It was a good day.


	160. Chapter 160

"Who's winning?"

Peter made a face, looking up and slightly over his shoulder as he felt an arm come around him from behind and the brush of coarse facial hair against his cheek when Tony leaned over to study the board.

"She's cheating…"

Romanoff smirked, and played her rook, taking Peter's pawn before he could threaten her king.

"Don't listen to him, Tony," the assassin said. "He's letting me win."

Which wasn't exactly true, but Peter _was_ distracted by Natasha's revelation, and it definitely showed. Not only because he'd look at her every few minutes with a goofy grin that inevitably made her smile, too, but he was also playing poorly – and had lost the first game quickly. Normally she'd lecture him about not allowing distractions to mess with your judgement, or your strategy, but _she_ was in a good mood, and so was he, and there was time enough later for her to give him a lecture.

"How was the pool?"

"Wet."

Stark rolled his eyes and let Peter go, happy to see the smile on the boy's face, all things considered.

"Well, as long as you got wet, I suppose it was a success. Mom's on her way. Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"Natasha?"

"I am, but I'm going to eat with Stephen. I was just keeping Peter company until you guys showed up." She smiled at Peter. "We'll finish this later?"

"Okay."

She got up and left, brushing her fingers along his shoulder as she did, while Tony took the seat she abandoned. He watched as Peter put the chess pieces away, studying the boy to see how he seemed to be doing. Considering the whole MJ date thing cut short, he was looking positively cheerful.

"How's the hand?"

"It's not too bad. Aches a little, is all."

"And your head?"

"I'm good."

Peter's smile was proof of that, really.

"I'm glad to hear it."

Tony looked over Peter's shoulder and saw Pepper entering the lounge, and then heading their way. He smiled a greeting to her as she greeted their son with a hug from behind and a kiss to his cheek.

"Hi, sweetheart." Her hand brushed his still slightly damp hair. "How was the swim?"

"Good."

"And the hand?"

"It's fine. What did you guys do?"

Pepper seated herself at the table, and a server brought them all drinks, already knowing what they would want.

"I called T'Challa to check on Shuri," she said. "Since you can't."

"How is she?"

Tony smirked.

"Grumpy. _Princesses do not drink vile medications and she will not subject herself to the magic potions of a western witch doctor_…"

It was obviously a direct quote. Peter smiled, too.

"Witch doctor, huh?"

"Yes."

"What did T'Challa say?"

"That she would do as she was told, or he'd tie her to her bed and pour the stuff down her throat. Princess or not. Then he reminded her that the alternative was for them to bring in a Wakandan witch doctor and see what kind of concoction he or she might make."

"She's a grumpy patient," Pepper told him, amused. "But Wong's medicine is doing the trick. The cough is already easing."

"Which is why she thinks she can get out of bed." Tony took an appreciative sip of his coffee. "T'Challa's got her, though, he said. Between him and Ramonda they're keeping her occupied when she's awake and making sure she's staying in bed."

"I sent her an email. She said they were holding her prisoner."

Peter's tone made it clear that he wasn't too concerned.

"Probably feels that way, poor baby," Pepper commiserated. Then she changed the subject. "Speaking of bed, though, I want you to make an early night of it, alright? We're going to be leaving around eight and I don't want to have to drag you out of bed."

"Okay." He was looking forward to seeing how the homeschool thing was going to work. And looking forward to having a day with her at the tower – which was always interesting. "Do I need to bring my laptop?"

"No. Just you – for _tomorrow_, anyway. We'll see what happens and adjust however we need to."

"Sounds good."

OOOOOOOO

The collector looked exactly as he had the last time they'd seen him. He was sitting on a chair that gave him a fine view of many of the items in his collection, but was watching them, intently, as they were ushered into the room by a bowing servant. Gamora, Peter and Carol were the only three who were shown in; Rocket and Drax were with Mantis and Groot back on the Milano, were they would be backup to the others should something go wrong.

Not that they expected it to, but there was a time to be cocky and confident, and a time to be cautious. Dealing with an eternal such as Taneleer Tivan was definitely one of the times to be more cautious. The man's glance at Carol was interested, but guarded – as if he understood that she was more than she appeared to be.

"Star Lord…" the collector said, finally. "Who's your friend?"

Danvers was dressed in leather and denim, with a plain white shirt under the jacket she was wearing. They'd made good time to the Collector's world, but she'd made good use of the journey by asking them more about the man. She knew who he was, but had never met him, and knew that the guardians had.

"Carol Danvers," she said, answering for herself, making sure that the man understood she wasn't a servant or someone to be ignored. "You're the Collector?"

He smiled, and it was almost predatory – but just this side of being such. He didn't know her, after all, and he knew that there were women out there that could be just as deadly as a man – the one standing with Quill (Gamora) being a prime example of that. He'd been around long enough that people had the illusion that he knew everything, but he knew better than to think that, himself.

"Some call me that, yes. You may call me Taneleer."

The look she gave him in return was amused more than anything. He realized that she wasn't nervous, at all, being in his presence, and that made him more wary. Some could pretend to be brave, but he could see that hers wasn't an act. She was confident, and that meant she was probably dangerous.

"We have something of yours," Quill said, cutting to the chase.

"Yes. That's what I heard." Now he sat up a little straighter. "Where is it?"

"Safe," Gamora replied. "We'll tell you once we've agreed just how happy you will be to get it back."

The man raised an eyebrow.

"Where did you get it?"

"Does it matter?" She asked.

"Yes." He gestured, and a screen over his shoulder the size of a an entire wall turned on, displaying an image of Sirah, slinking stealthily through a landing bay of some kind, looking around, nervously, as she got into a small shuttle, and closed the hatch behind her. "Considering it was last seen leaving here with one of my servants."

None of the visitors looked concerned.

"We found it," Quill lied, easily.

"And the girl?"

"Never saw her."

"And the _boy_?" Taneleer asked, raising that eyebrow again, as the scene changed, once more, on the screen and now showed an image of Peter Parker standing at the open hatch, wearing his black vibranium suit and a dark glove that held three stones. His face was pale and pained, but he was calm – especially in light of the fact that Sirah was crying and clearly afraid. As they all watched, the girl gave Peter the stone, and he added it to the gauntlet on his hand, the agony clear as the stone joined the others. "Where is he?"


	161. Chapter 161

"This isn't what I meant when I said I wanted him to turn in early tonight…"

Tony smiled, looking at the boy who had fallen asleep almost immediately after finishing dinner, leaning precariously on his hand, which was holding his head up – _barely_.

"Think we're pushing him too hard?"

"No. He seems to be doing well, and I don't want our concerns to hold his recovery back." She smiled. "He certainly was cheerful, today – all things considered."

"I noticed that, too. Did he tell you why?"

"No. You?"

"Nope."

She shrugged.

"We'll find out, eventually. _Natasha_ probably knows. Wake him up and put him to bed."

"Yes, dear."

She smiled at his meek tone, not at all fooled, and watched as her husband got to his feet and woke the boy they called their son with a gentle shake to his shoulder. Peter jerked awake, startled, and looking around, owlishly.

"Hmm? I fell asleep?"

Tony nodded, and Pepper could see the love in his eyes. It made her smile soften a little, always amazed at the change in the man. He'd been such an ass, so many years before. It was incredible that he'd managed to better himself the way he had – and still maintain those little nuances that she had always loved in him.

"You _did_. Bedtime, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Can you walk? Or do I carry you?"

She could tell he was half-hoping he was too wiped out to get to his feet on his own. Peter was too old to be carried to bed, really, but Tony loved doing it, because it was a _dad_ thing, as far as he was concerned, and something that he didn't – and _couldn't_ – get enough of. Peter shook his head, though, and she saw him tuck his hand almost automatically against his stomach, protectively.

"I'm okay." He looked around. "I should go find Nutmeg."

"I'll find him and bring him to your room before we go to bed," Tony promised, certain that if he let sleepy Peter wander the compound looking for his cat (even with the tracker making it easy) the boy was probably going to end up sleeping in whoever's quarters were closest to where he flopped down and gave up for the night Most likely _Nick's_. "Go to bed. We'll see you in the morning."

The boy nodded, getting up, and catching Tony in a sleepy hug. Then he did the same to Pepper as the billionaire settled back in the chair beside his wife's.

"Good night."

"Night, sweetheart. We'll have Karen wake you in time for breakfast."

"Okay."

Peter left the lounge, walking just a little unsteadily, and when he was gone Pepper gave Tony a look.

"You're going to have Friday watch and make sure he makes it to his rooms?"

"Definitely."

"Good." She smiled, feeling pretty satisfied with her world, just then. They weren't done with the aftermath of Thanos and his army, or Peter's involvement in it all, but his hand was getting better and she'd just gotten a hug from her baby. She saw Steve and Clint walk in, just then, with Jack cavorting at Roger's side, clearly excited, despite the time of evening. "I wonder how the negotiations are going with the Guardians."

Tony shrugged.

"Quill seems like a sharp negotiator; they'll probably set themselves up pretty well for a while." He reached for the cards that had been ignored while Peter was with them, but were now an option. "Not to mention Gamora… she's pretty tough."

"True. If this collector is so powerful, though, what's to keep him from taking the stone from them by force?"

"Carol's with them."

OOOOOOOO

"How did you get this?" Quill asked, surprised – especially when the two kids in the video suddenly vanished on the spot they were standing.

The ancient being didn't smirk, but it was a close thing. He loved showing off just how brilliant he was – even when it was to someone he didn't have to impress.

"Word came Thanos was collecting the stones. My jewel was a beacon to him, as I knew it would be. To protect it, I sent it away – making sure my servant didn't tell me where she was going. But I wasn't going to do something like that without a means to assure myself I'd get it _back_. The shuttle had a recall feature installed. Word has reached me that Thanos and his army were defeated – although my informants have yet to tell me where the final battle was – so I triggered the recall. Imagine my chagrin when the shuttle returned the other day without my servant – _and_ without my jewel."

"I imagine that's disconcerting," Gamora agreed. "We have your stone, though, so you don't need to worry about it or its wellbeing."

"And my _servant_?"

"Why do you care?" Carol asked.

The Collector once more reminded himself that she was an unknown and that she might not be someone to pick a fight with. Especially in the midst of his collection which had already sustained some damage when Thanos had come calling. He decided to answer.

"She's a favorite of mine," he replied. "Why else would I send her out of harm's way before the mad titan arrived?"

"She's a _person_," Danvers said. "Not a possession."

"Everything _here_ is a possession," he corrected. "I want mine back. Where is she?"

Gamora frowned, unimpressed by the demand. She didn't even look at Quill but she knew without consulting that he was going to be against the thought of giving away any indication of where Sirah was – especially since she was on his home world.

"We're not here to talk about a faceless servant," she replied. "We're here to discuss something much more valuable. Do you want it? Or do we walk and find someone else to sell it to?"

The ancient's eyes narrowed.

"Your father is dead… you don't have the might of Thanos' army behind you to protect you. Have care how you speak, here."

Carol lifted her chin, automatically defiant, even though the threat wasn't directed at _her_. She wasn't impressed by the ancient being, but understood that he was a potential threat that _she_ didn't want coming to Earth, either.

"The stones have been wielded once to destroy a madman and an endless army…" she said, pointedly. "The kid who did it? He's a friend of ours. Do you _really_ want me to call him here and now?"

That made the man hesitate, and they all saw it, even though he immediately schooled his expression.

"I'm no threat to the boy. He has no reason to come here."

"A threat to his world – or to his friends – might be all that he needs," Carol said, knowing even as she said it that even if Peter was willing to come, his baby face would make any threat that he made absurd. Except that the power he unleashed wasn't a secret. And it was _formidable_. "Has the light been seen _here_, yet?"

"The light is _real_…?" Tivan asked. "Truly?"

"Yes." Gamora was the one to reply, because she was the one with the contacts who had confirmed its progress. "It's spreading through the galaxy as we speak, destroying the remains of my father's army and leaving a wave of healing in its wake. Entire planets at a time have been affected."

"I've heard rumors, but I thought them to be fairy tales."

"The boy created the light with a snap of his fingers," Peter said, careful not to mention Peter by name. "He could probably take this shit heap planet out with a single word."

The collector scowled, not caring for the thought of testing that, but rankled at the threat. Gamora was probably the best of the three at figuring out how to make someone compromise without them really knowing they were doing it – she had a lot of experience with that growing up under Thanos, after all.

"The girl is safe," she told the collector. "And under the protection of the boy's people. When I last saw her, she was healthy and even somewhat content. You should be happy for her and leave her where she is."

"Or…?"

"Or it's going to get _messy_," Carol said. "The boy has a connection to the stones. To _all_ of them, including the mind stone, which might be telling him right now that you're thinking about tracking him down and threatening him, or his people. That wouldn't be a good idea."

"Who _is_ he?" The collector was more curious about the boy from the ancient prophesy than he was the servant girl – and the reminder of the connection to the infinity stones had been smart, because it did dampen his already forming idea that he'd track the girl and bring her back. Simply because he hated the thought of anyone taking something that was his. "Is his father really a metal man?"

"Of course not," Gamora scoffed. "He's formidable, though, and incredibly powerful – with powerful allies. He wants no animosity between you and his people, however, which is why we've been tasked with bringing you back your bauble – provided the delivery fee can be agreed upon."

"I want to meet him."

"That isn't going to happen," Carol told him, firmly. "He's busy, right now."

The implication being that the Collector – despite being ancient and a powerful entity in the universe – wasn't worth the boy's time, just then. The man's eyes narrowed at the insult and he found himself forgetting that he was being cautious around her.

"And if I kept you here until he _came_?"

The woman smirked, and raised her hand, pointing it toward the ceiling, which was at least a hundred feet above them. Her hand was suddenly blazing with power, and a blast of energy shot from it before any of them could react. The hole in the ceiling was impressive, and they all looked up at the sunlight filtering in through the rubble that was dusting down on them, having been shredded into particles that were too small to be dangerous.

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow her expressive eyes holding a challenge that none of them could mistake for anything but.

"Do you think you could?"

The collector looked at her, and then back at the object lesson, and then he sniffed, and looked at Quill.

"I'm going to take that out of your recompense. You know that, right?"

Star Lord shrugged.

"Let's talk numbers."


	162. Chapter 162

"You broke up with him? Are you crazy?"

"No." To her credit, MJ didn't even scowl. "We're in completely different places. He wants to be a superhero, and I can't support that. We're still going to be friends, though."

"That never works out that way."

"It will." She was confident of that. Peter had seemed to be, too. Technically, they hadn't really been an item. Had they? "Besides, he's still on the academic decathlon team. We'll see each other at practices, and school when he comes back."

Ned shook his head, looking at her almost mournfully.

"That's terrible news. You guys were a cute couple."

"When we weren't _arguing_."

"Yeah." Good point. "Is he alright? How did he take it? Are _you_ alright?"

"You didn't talk to him?"

"On the phone that he's _grounded_ from?"

"I'd have assumed they make an exception for you."

He didn't even shake his head.

"Nope. Grounded from the phone is grounded from the phone." To his credit, he didn't remind her that it was an argument with her that had upset Peter so much that he'd driven his car without his seatbelt in the first place. "I'll shoot him off an email, but that's something that you need to talk about face to face, not in an email."

"Let me know if there's anything he needs and he's just not telling me," she requested.

"I will. But he'll just tell me that he's fine, you know that."

"His hand looks pretty good…" she said. "He showed it to me."

"They have him rehabbing it in the pool and with a little rubber ball. Even better, though – for _him_ – he's going into the tower with Pepper in the morning to start homeschooling, so he doesn't get further behind than he already is."

"That's what he said. Why in the city instead of at the compound?"

"No clue. Probably because Pepper is more strict and can keep him on task. Mr. Stark is brilliant, but he's easily distracted, sometimes, and if Peter asked to go do something else – something _avenger_ related – he'd probably allow it."

"And there are less distractions at the tower," MJ agreed. "I'd better go. I waited for the last minute to finish my report and mom's going to kill me since I told her it was already done. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Good night."

OOOOOOOO

"So they broke up?" Pepper asked Natasha, looking over at the assassin, who had joined her and Tony in the lounge a short time after she and Stephen had arrived back at the compound. "That's too bad."

Romanoff shrugged.

"He's alright. I think it's more of a relief, really, since he won't have her being annoyed with him about keeping secrets, now."

"_Less_ annoyed, but still annoyed," Stephen corrected, discarding an ace that he didn't need. "She's like every intelligent kid; wants to know what's going on around them and hates secrets."

"True." Tony looked at his friend. "Speaking of secrets…"

"Were we?"

"You two have been awfully smug, lately…"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tony. I'm _always_ smug. It comes from being smarter than the people around me." Natasha raised an eyebrow at that. "_Present_ company excluded, of course," he added, proving that he was as smart as he was claiming to be.

"Come on…" Pepper said, smirking at the silent reprimand and back-pedaling. "Something's going on with you two. Spill it."

"Nope."

"So there _is_ something…?" Pepper asked, watching the two of them, intently. They had been smug and cheerful. Which were great things, of course, but since Peter had come into their lives, she was transitioning to mom mode, now, and liked knowing what was going on around her because of it. Even if it wasn't the teenager who was the focus of the mystery. "What is it?"

"Does Peter know?" Tony asked, suddenly. "Is that why he's so cheerful? You told him."

"And then promptly swore him to secrecy," Romanoff confirmed, catching Nutmeg when the kitten wandered over to see whose cards needed gnawing on. "So don't even _think_ about going and waking him up to catch him in a sleepy moment of weakness."

"Peter can know, but I can't?"

"_We_ can't," Pepper corrected.

"_We can't_?"

"You _can_…" Romanoff said. "We just… I don't want it to distract from the other things that are going on just now."

"You keeping a secret from _me_ and not from Peter is already a distraction. What if I'm in my suit and trying to save the day and suddenly start trying to figure out what's going on, instead of concentrating on what I'm supposed to be doing? It could be the end of all civilization as we know it."

"Doubtful."

Stark scowled and looked at Strange.

"Well?"

The sorcerer shook his head.

"Not a chance."

It was Natasha's secret, after all.

"Did you _propose_?" Pepper asked, lowering her voice, even though the room was mostly empty.

"Not recently."

Romanoff smirked.

"You're making a big deal out of something that isn't," she told them. "It's not earth shaking, or anything."

"So tell us, then," Tony said. He gave her a look, a cross between a smirk and a challenge. "You know I'm not going to let it drop, right? I'll hound you all night. Walk with you to your quarters and pester you until you have to tell me or go crazy…"

"Or until she breaks your arm," Stephen pointed out.

"She wouldn't do that," Tony said, dismissing the suggestion with a casual wave of his hand. "She loves Peter, and Peter loves me. Vicariously, she loves me."

Romanoff rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But it doesn't go any further than you two – and I mean it."

"Yeah. Sure."

Both of them leaned in, and Natasha smiled and told them what she'd told Peter, earlier. With similar responses.

OOOOOOO

"Ridiculous. I'm not paying half that. It's a _jewel_."

"A rare jewel," Quill pointed out. "And worth a hundred times the small price we're asking."

"I'd pay ten times that if you bring me the boy." He noticed the frowns and raised a hand, placatingly. "Not to _keep_. Only to meet. To talk to. To learn what he is like."

"He's not on the bargaining table," Gamora said.

"Why not?" The collector asked, giving her a disarming smile. "Everything has a price. Surely he wants something as a reward for what he did?"

"He didn't do it for a reward," Carol assured him. "He did it to protect his own world, and his own people."

"He's a boy. There must be something here that he would like? Perhaps you could pick something out for him… take it back with you? As a sign of my desire to meet him? And an assurance that no harm would come to him? I could go there, if it is preferred."

"He doesn't need anything," Peter said.

"Definitely not a bauble with a tracker in it," Gamora added.

The Collector sighed, realizing that they weren't going to give in to his request. Stupid independents. He loathed people with minds of their own, sometimes.

"Just pass the word to him," he said. "That's all I ask. Tell him I'll show him my collection, and all its wonders and allow him to take anything he wants – aside from the stone, of course – in exchange for one chance to meet him."

"We'll pass the word," Carol promised. "No promises."

"Fair enough." He turned to Quill. "Half."

"Three times the original asking price."

Quill smirked at the man's annoyance, but the Collector should have known better than to make it so obvious that he wanted something only they could deliver – even if it was just to send a message to the boy asking him to come visit. The guardians had the upper hand in the negotiations, now, and Quill knew it.

OOOOOO

In his room in the compound, Peter rolled over in his bed, not waking from the dream, but slightly worried at the conversation.

"_He won't come here,"_ Alec assured the boy. _"He knows it'd be risky and he's not the type to take such a risk, personally."_

"_Will he send people to look for me?"_

"_He already has."_

"_What do I do?"_

"_Nothing. This isn't something you need to worry about."_

"_You're sure?"_

"_Yeah. Relax, okay? You're going to have a long day, tomorrow, and you should get some sleep."_

Assured by that calm voice in his mind, Peter relaxed and went back to sleep.


	163. Chapter 163

"Sure you're up for this? We could hold off another week, if you need us to…"

Peter shook his head, although he yawned, too.

"No. I'm good. Just a little tired."

"Dreaming about being a space pirate?" Pepper asked, smiling at him from her side of the table.

The boy smiled, too, and shook his head.

"I did dream about them, though," he said. "The guardians, I mean. And Carol. They were negotiating with a guy for the reality stone."

"They're already there?" Pepper asked, surprised. "I thought it would take longer."

"They do jumps," Tony told her, buttering his toast and gesturing for Peter to do the same to avoid letting him get distracted – although he obviously wanted to hear more. "They travel through a lot of space in one simple jump, so depending on where they're heading, sometimes they can get there within hours or days. Did they get the price they wanted?"

"They were still negotiating when I woke up," he replied, not mentioning the interest that the Collector had shown in him. No sense worrying them about something that none of them could control, really. "But it seemed to be a pretty intense thing."

"Negotiations usually are," Pepper agreed. She'd know better than anyone, really. She did it all the time. "We'll have to ask Carol when she gets back."

"Yeah."

Neither even looked askance at the fact that Peter was dreaming about things as they were progressing. They were used to the mind stone putting its will forward with their son and showing him things he was worried about. Tony looked at Pepper.

"You'll be gone all day?"

"Yes." Peter was only scheduled for about six hours of schoolwork that day – and as long as it worked out well for him, that's how it would continue to be scheduled – but when taking in consideration for breaks (Tony had called it _recess_ and made the boy roll his eyes, amused) and lunch, it would be much closer to eight. "We'll be back around my usual time, I think."

If Peter was done before Pepper (and he probably would be) then he could amuse himself in his room at the tower, or spend time with her, or explore the building, although he knew it fairly well, by then and he'd come home with her, rather than have Tony or someone pick him up, separately.

"What are you going to do, today?" Peter asked.

"I have a couple of things to work on in my workroom," Tony said. "But the fender for the Pontiac is supposed to be here, today, and I thought I'd start piecing things together." He smiled, gesturing at Peter's hand with his toast. "You can't help me build, right now, with your brace on, so I'll do any manufacturing while I have downtime, and when you get home, or this next weekend – depending on how far along I am – you can help me put it together."

The boy nodded.

"That sounds great. Thanks."

Tony's smile was cheerful.

"I enjoy building. You know that. It's not even a chore."

Especially since he was doing it for _Peter_.

Despite the early hour, Stephen and one of the physical therapists had both been in the lounge with Pepper and Tony when Peter had walked into the room, still sleep-muzzled and yawning. Peter hadn't expected them, but he assumed it was Tony or Pepper – or _both_ – wanting to make sure that he really was healthy enough to go spend the day at the tower rather than be on his back in his bed. He didn't mind, and he wasn't too worried. For a change, he felt pretty good and even the hand only ached a bit when he ran it through all the range of motion tests that the doctors had put in front of him.

"He looks pretty good," the physical therapist had said, looking pleased as they watched Peter put the brace back on. That wasn't going to be removed, just yet. "Keep up the swimming and the ball manipulation, and we'll see how it looks next week."

"Thank you," Tony had replied. Then he looked at Strange. "Stephen?"

The physical therapist was there for Peter's hand. Stephen was there because he knew Peter's health the best, and he would have final say in the matter.

"How do you feel, Peter?" he'd asked. "Any signs of dizziness? Light-headedness? Weakness?"

"No. I feel good."

"Then he's good to go," Strange had confirmed. He looked at Pepper. "Keep an eye on him, though. If he looks tired, make him take a break and get some rest."

"I will."

Peter had rolled his eyes, envisioning an entire day of Pepper standing over his shoulder asking how he was feeling, but he was still in a cheerful mood from the day before, and it was Pepper. She could sit on his desk and yammer at him all day for all he cared.

"Then feed him breakfast and have a good day," Stephen had said. "I'll be at the sanctum most of the day, though, if something comes up."

OOOOOOO

"Wow…"

Pepper smiled, looking pleased, as she watched Peter take in the set up they'd had created for his homeschooling time. Her office was immense, so there was plenty of space, and her assistant had been told to do whatever he thought would be best to make the area set aside for Peter comfortable and fun – although it was going to be in Pepper's office, so maybe no fireworks or loud video games. She and Tony had looked it over the day before, just to make sure they couldn't think of anything their son might need, but it was ready, unless Peter – who had the final say in this – didn't like it for some reason.

At the moment, that didn't seem to be an issue.

The boy walked over to the far side of the room. Where there had once been a low-slung sofa, there was now a glass and steel desk with one of the invisible screens set up. There was a chair that was designed for comfortable sitting – similar to Pepper's – and all the usual accruements needed for office or school; pencils, pens, notebooks and the like.

"You think it'll work for you?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah." Peter smiled as he walked over and ran his hand along the desk. "I figured I'd be using your coffee table."

She chuckled at that and put her arm around him.

"I thought we could probably arrange things a little better than that. It's interfaced with Friday, who is going to be your primary instructor – although I'm the secondary, in case you have a question that only a real person can answer. I'm sorry it isn't Karen, but she can interface with Friday if you need her for some reason."

Tony had already explained to Peter that he preferred not to have a double AI set up in Pepper's office at the tower. Peter didn't mind at all. He got along fine with Friday and didn't mind her being the 'teacher', so to speak.

"It's great," he assured Pepper, smiling the proof of it. He would also be close enough to her desk that he could see what she was doing without being intrusive. "Thank you."

"If you'd prefer, we could set you up in an office, somewhere…"

"No. It'd be lonely. I like it this way. As long as I'm not going to be underfoot?"

Pepper simply shook her head.

"I like having you underfoot. Try your desk out, will you? Friday has your first assignments all mapped out. Just let me know if you have any questions, or if you need anything."

She went over and sat at her desk, but watched surreptitiously as he sat down in his chair, smiling at the leather and the way it leaned back so smoothly. He also grinned when he noticed that there was a '_welcome to homeschool'_ banner going across the display screen. By the time her first call came in, Peter was already settled at his desk, running through his first class of the morning.

She'd have to let Tony know it seemed to be a success.


	164. Chapter 164

Peter Quill looked at the display with satisfaction, watching as the balance of credits in his account multiplied by an incredibly absurd amount. He turned, looking at the Collector, and nodded to Gamora.

"Give him the stone."

She reached into the pouch she held, which was so nondescript that it almost had gone unnoticed. A moment later, she pulled out the sphere that held the reality stone and handed it over to the collector. The ancient being looked at it, and then opened it, admiring – but being careful not to touch – the stone that was held within.

"Imagine being able to control them," he murmured, mesmerized by the light that seemed to come from within it. How was he able to handle the energy produced by the gathered stones?"

"He did fine," Carol assured him.

"Where did he send the others?" The collector asked, looking up from his prize. "Are they still with him? What will he do with them?"

She almost felt sorry for him, well aware that he was pretty much addicted to knowledge. Not surprising, since he collected everything that he saw for the purpose of studying it and learning about it. And then keeping it, though, to add to the collection. Yet another reason to keep him from Peter, who wouldn't make a good display.

"They're being dispersed," Quill said. "Can't keep them all in one place; it isn't safe."

"No. Of course not." His expression turned blank. If someone could say they knew him well, they'd have said he was being his most charming. Certainly because he wanted something. "I don't suppose you could talk him into selling me another one?"

Two was better than one.

"We're not _selling_ you _this_ one," Gamora pointed out. "We're returning something that you already possessed."

"And charging you a finder's fee," Quill added, smugly. "We should go, though. Places to do and things to see, and all that." Besides, he didn't like how the guy was obsessing about the other stones – or Peter, for that matter. "Thanks for the hospitality."

The collector frowned, but then shrugged.

"Yes. Safe travels." He looked down at the sphere in his hand, as if to make sure it was still there and hadn't been spirited out of his grasp by one of them. "If the boy changes his mind, you know where to find me."

"Yeah."

The three turned and left, ushered out by a servant, and the ancient being sat down, again, and watched them go, speculatively.

OOOOOOO

"That was easy," Quill said.

"Too easy," Gamora agreed.

Danvers nodded.

"He's up to something."

"Should we warn Tony?"

"I'll give him a heads up when I get back there," Carol said. "If nothing else, I'll make sure Steve knows. He'll ask, anyway, since he enjoys debriefing."

Star Lord smirked, giving her a sidelong glance.

"We heard you guys were _debriefing_ each other…"

Danvers rolled her eyes, but Gamora noticed that she didn't deny it.

OOOOOOOOO

"How's it going?"

"He likes the setup."

"Yeah? That's a good start. Friday said that he's doing math?"

"Math the first two hours," Pepper confirmed. "We're breaking it up a bit to keep from burning him out too soon on any one subject." She didn't even need to look at the schedule. "He has quite a reading list, too, so he's not going to be staring at a screen all day, every day. But there are book reports and quizzes, and the like. He's in my office, right now, running through ridiculously hard equations like I do spreadsheets. "

She was coming from a conference a few floors down.

"Do you need any help with him?"

She smirked.

"Are you already bored being home alone?"

"I'm not alone. Steve's here. And Clint."

And a lot of SHIELD people, of course. That went without saying, really.

"Where's Natasha?"

"Doing something with Clint, I think. They're getting ready to deploy some people. Or something." He waved a hand, dismissively. He didn't pay attention to what the others did unless it was something that they needed his help with. "I had an interesting call from _T'Challa_ a few minutes ago, though."

The amusement in his expression told her that it wasn't serious, but she immediately thought of Shuri.

"How's everyone's favorite princess who isn't owned by Disney?"

"She's feeling better and still confined to her bed by the healers for at least another three days. T'Challa asked if we had any suggestions for keeping her there, short of trying her up or drugging her."

Pepper smiled. A bored, intelligent, teenager stuck in bed? They knew all about that, didn't they?

"And you said…?"

"I said let me call Pepper and see if I can come up with something."

"But you already have something in mind?"

"I do. But it'll cut Peter's first day of school short, so I thought I'd run it by you, first. And a couple of other people."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm listening."

OOOOOO

Shuri was bored. And annoyed. And bored. And frustrated. And bored.

She sneezed, which was annoying, because every time she sneezed it gave her brother and mother more ammunition to keep her in her bed when she had a million things that she could be working on in her workroom. Or she could be checking in on a number of projects that others were doing that interested her. Or she could even be at the orphanage, checking to see how Sirah was doing so that when she emailed Peter again, she could let him know.

Instead, she was stuck in her bed; her mother's stern gaze keeping her there far more readily than T'Challa's royal edict. She felt _fine_, and was much better than she had been, and she knew they knew it. They were just being cautious, they said. Making sure that she didn't relapse, or some such nonsense. As if _princesses_ relapsed. _Too_ cautious. She was beginning to think that they were just enjoying the chance to have her out of their way.

A wave of self-pity swept over her, then, and she sniffed, again – this time not because of her perpetually runny nose. They probably liked having her out from underfoot. She-

A knock on the door stopped her downward spiral into the pity pool and she looked up to see that her brother was standing at her bedroom door. He smiled.

"How do you feel?"

"Terrible. Go away, brother."

The young king's smile only grew at her petulance, and Shuri looked for something heavier than her tissue to throw at him – princess or not, king or not.

"Should I send your visitors away, then?"

"Visitors?"

He moved, slightly, and Ned walked through the door, grinning. He was holding a laptop and a small paper folder.

"Hey, Shuri."

"Ned." He was the last person she'd have expected to see. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright? Where-"

Before she could finish the question, MJ walked through the door after Ned, also holding a laptop. She looked a little sheepish, as if surprised to find herself where she was and uncertain of the reception she was going to receive, but the princess smiled, and looked at her brother.

"What is going on?"

"You said you were bored. I arranged entertainment – as long as you stay in bed."

"But I don't understand. What-"

"Hey, Shuri…"

Peter was the last to arrive, but he looked the most cheerful. Even more than Ned, which was saying something.

"Peter?" the boredom, frustration and even the self pity were washed away in a wave of good cheer. "What are you doing here?"

"We heard you were still stuck in bed," the boy answered, walking over with his friends, and holding a laptop, as well. "Your brother asked if we knew something to do to keep you from going stir crazy, and I have just the thing. It's more fun with more people, though, so I invited Ned and MJ. I hope you don't mind?"

He'd hoped that MJ wasn't going to refuse, when Tony had suggested the internet scavenger hunt and maybe taking more than just him to Wakanda to spend some time with Shuri, who had more than earned a little time with her friends. When he'd called (after getting special permission from Pepper to use Friday to call instead of email) she'd been pleased by the invitation – if not a little startled that he'd asked.

Peter was serious about maintaining her friendship, though, and he thought that maybe MJ might keep Ned from exhausting Shuri with a million stories. Tony had sent Happy to pick Ned and MJ up from school – after calling their parents to let them know he was kidnapping them and not expect them home until well after dinner – and then Stephen had met them at the tower and created a portal to Wakanda.

"Are Tony and Pepper here, too?"

"Yeah. But they're not hanging out with us. I spent all day with Pepper; she's probably ready for a break from me." He walked over with his friends and they all settled on her bed; Peter right beside where she was sitting, and Ned and MJ at the foot. "Got your laptop handy?"

"Yes. Why?"

"We're going to play a game." He smiled. "I'll warn you, now, though. I'm pretty good at it."


	165. Chapter 165

"Did you have fun?"

"Yes. Natasha created this game?"

Peter smiled.

"She _did_. I think it was out of self-defense, though, because I was driving all of them crazy – and it wasn't pretty. We played an abbreviated version," he added. "The game that I played with her and the others literally lasted us all day."

"We could have played that," Ned said, preening, because he'd won. "But it's already late and Tony told my mom he'd have me home by eleven."

The time change wouldn't mess with them, too much, obviously, thanks to Strange's portal, but it was a school night although luckily he didn't have any homework.

"He told my folks the same thing," MJ agreed. She was smiling, too, having had a very good time that evening, and more relaxed with Peter than she'd been in months. It had been kind of him to invite her to go to Wakanda with them (although he'd pointed out that she couldn't tell anyone, of course) and had been a good way for the two of them to spend time together, but in a group, doing normal tings like just playing a game. Of course, it was in Africa, and they had been lounging around the room of an actual princess, but that was as normal as things really got when Peter was involved. "I had a good time, though."

Shuri's smile was broader than the others', and it was sincere.

"Thank you so much for coming. I am sorry that I could not show you more of my country than just this part of the palace. Perhaps you can come for another visit, when I'm not stuck in bed, and we can show you some of what Peter and his family saw when they were here."

"I'd like that," MJ agreed.

"Your brother is going to feed us zebra," Ned told her, standing up and closing his laptop.

Peter rolled his eyes, knowing that his friend was messing with him.

"No, he isn't. We're going to stop at a McDonald's somewhere, on the way to take them home." He looked at Shuri. "You're okay?"

It was only early afternoon there, after all, and she had an entire day of being stuck in bed, still. He'd have stayed if she needed the company. Tony and Pepper would probably let him, if he asked.

The princess nodded, though.

"I am. Thank you so much."

He leaned over and hugged her, trying to juggle his laptop and stave off Tony's (Shuri's puppy) licking attack at the same time as giving her an embrace. He was glad he only had a small kitten, since the puppy had been big when he'd gotten him for her – and was only getting bigger as he grew older.

"You're welcome. One more week without my phone, so email me if you need anything, okay?"

"Or I will have T'Challa call Tony and get my way much faster."

Peter smirked at her deviousness.

"Whatever works best for you," he agreed.

The other two said goodbye and the three teens walked out of Shuri's room, and headed down the hallway – slowly enough to allow MJ a chance to look at the artwork on the walls and some of the carvings displayed in alcoves along the way.

"That was a great idea," Ned told his friends.

"Yeah." Peter couldn't take credit for it, since Tony had been the one to approach them about playing, but he definitely agreed. "Thanks for coming."

MJ smirked.

"Thanks for coming to the luxurious African palace? Yeah. You're welcome."

Ned snorted, but before anyone else could say anything, they rounded the corridor and saw Strange, Tony and Pepper waiting for them with a couple of T'Challa's security people – although the king was nowhere in sight. Peter understood that, though, because if T'Challa was there, then things were official and there would be some kind of ceremony. They really didn't have time for that. Not if they were going to eat before taking Ned and MJ home.

"Ready?" Tony asked the kids.

When they nodded, he looked at Strange, who rolled his eyes, good-naturedly, and waved his hand in a circle to create the portal. A portal that opened into Pepper's office at the tower. A moment later, they were all standing in the room, and Peter walked Ned and MJ over to look at the space that had been made for him to do his homeschooling.

"You good?" Stephen asked Tony and Pepper.

"We are. I appreciate the help – and your time."

"I was free this evening, and I don't mind the chance to spend an evening in Wakanda. The place is fascinating. I'll see you sometime this week, most likely – this weekend, for certain."

He waved goodbye to the teens and walked out the door, closing it behind him and vanishing the moment he did – although none of them saw it.

"Ready?" Tony asked.

"Yeah."

Stark offered Pepper his arm, and with the three hungry teens trailing behind him, they left Pepper's office, too.

OOOOOOOO

"Did you put a tracker on their ship?"

"Yes, master. It is very low-frequency, so they will not notice it unless they are searching for it."

"Good." The Collector leaned back into his chair. "There's no guarantee that they're heading back to the boy's home world, but they probably _have_ to – to take the woman home."

"And then we send an invasion?" his minion asked, curiously.

"What? No. Of course not." Thanos had tried the invasion thing, hadn't he? Look how well it had worked for him. And while Thanos wasn't close to being as intelligent as the collector, the ancient being had to admit the Titan hadn't been an idiot. And he'd had a large army. Far more than the collector wanted to try and gather. "I'm not crazy enough to try and wrest the stones from the boy. I just want to talk to him. To see what he's like. To meet him. A simple visit wouldn't do any harm, would it?"

"No, master. Of course not. It would be an honor for them to have you come."

He smirked, and nodded.

"Yeah. It would."

OOOOOOO

"You found it?"

Rocket rolled his eyes.

"Yep. Next to the nacelle. What a moron."

"We double-checked to make sure there aren't more?" Drax asked.

"I did," Gamora confirmed. "Not that it matters. We're not heading back to Peter's home, anyway."

They all knew Carol was more than capable of getting herself back to Earth, after all. Now that they were out of orbit of the collector's home world, with credits still intact in the account they'd been deposited in, she didn't have any reason to stick around, and knew that they didn't need her to.

"You guys good?" she asked, getting up from the seat she'd been in.

"Yeah," Quill replied. "You?"

"Always." She offered him her hand, and then all the others. "Keep in touch."

"Tell everyone we said hi."

They watched as she headed for the airlock, and then she turned and winked, waiting for Quill to close it and open the other side, exposing her to space. There was a flare of light, and she flew away and vanished a moment later.

"We're going to go back and visit them, sometime, right?" Drax asked.

"Yeah." Peter sat back in his chair, looking at Gamora. "It was a good trip. They're good people."

She nodded her agreement.

"Next time you should dream of someone for Mantis to connect with," Drax told Gamora.

"I didn't choose who I was dreaming about."

Quill shrugged.

"He's right, though. Or maybe Groot?"

"I am groot."

They chuckled, and Quill pulled out the new device that Peter Parker had given him. It was already installed into the Milano, although they hadn't had a chance to listen to the music, yet. He'd heard some of the songs, but that was about it.

"You guys ready to rock?"

Gamora rolled her eyes, resigned, and there were similar motions among them all.

"We're _ready_."

"Yes."

OOOOOOOOO

They dropped Ned off, first, and his mother happened to be downstairs when they pulled up to the building. Tony and Pepper chatted with her for a few moments, while Peter and MJ told him goodbye. When they reached MJ's place, though, Pepper suggested that Peter walk her up to her apartment, just to make sure that she arrived, safely.

"Thanks for inviting me," MJ told him as they walked up the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. "I had a good time."

"I did, too. Shuri was sure surprised, wasn't she?"

The girl nodded and threw him a sidelong glance.

"Yes. I think she was happiest to see _you_, though."

Peter shrugged.

"Probably. She might be tired of me, by now, though. I would be."

MJ shook her head.

"You're clueless. You know that, right?"

The words were annoyed, but her tone was almost amused. Or resigned. One of the two.

"About what?"

"Shuri."

"No, I'm not." The objection was automatic. "What do you mean?"

His friend just shook her head, again, and they stopped at her door.

"Nothing. I'll talk to you, later."

"Okay. Good night."

He waited until she went inside, and then left, heading for the stairs and wondering what she'd been talking about – and why she hadn't said it, since she was usually pretty straightforward about most things.

"_She's right,"_ Alec said into his mind – and the ancient alien sorcerer was also amused. _"You're clueless."_

"What?"

"_Nothing."_


	166. Chapter 166

It was well after midnight when Tony drove the car into the garage and turned the engine off, looking automatically in his review mirror to check Peter. The boy was awake, but almost dozing, his cheek resting against the window. He lifted his head when the car stopped, though, and caught his reflection in the mirror.

"You awake?" Stark asked.

"Yes." He yawned. "_Mostly_."

Pepper turned and looked over her shoulder.

"You'd better get to bed, sweetheart. We're leaving at 8 o'clock."

"I will." He got out of the car, and waited for Tony to join Pepper so he could walk with them the short distance before their directions would change so they could go to their mutual quarters. He was sleepy, but he wouldn't miss a chance to find himself walking between them even for a few minutes. "That was fun. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Shuri looked like she enjoyed herself."

"Yeah. What did _you_ guys do?"

"Spent time with T'Challa and Ramonda," Pepper replied. "Checked up on your zebra."

Peter smiled, putting an arm around her and leaning slightly against her as well as he could while walking beside her – careful not to trip her up.

"You did? How is he?"

"He's _fat_," Tony said. "And _probably_ spoiled."

"He's still adorable," Pepper assured their son, rolling her eyes at Peter's amusement. "We uploaded some videos from the guides who watch the herds. They've been keeping track of him. I'll show you in the morning."

"Wow."

They reached the intersecting hallway and stopped.

"Do I need to come get you in the morning?" Tony asked.

"No. I'll ask Karen to wake me."

"We'll see you at breakfast," Pepper said, hugging him and pressing a kiss against his cheek.

He nodded, and smiled when Tony hugged him, too, clearly not willing to give up on the lovefest just yet, either. Maybe when Peter was in _college_…

"Good night."

They turned and headed for their quarters, and Peter turned for his – although he wanted to find Nutmeg, first. Then he could go to sleep without worrying what his crazy kitten was breaking – or stealing.

"_I want you to sleep with Natasha, tonight_," Alec said, suddenly, surprising Peter so much that he stopped in mid-step.

"_What? Why?"_

"_Something has come up,"_ the ancient being told him, sounding serious, but not concerned. _"You and I are going to have to do some projecting, and I want you somewhere that you feel safe. Asking Tony or Pepper to allow you to sleep with them would have worried them – and that would have stressed you. I want you calm and relaxed for this."_

"_What are we doing?"_ he asked, curiously, walking toward his quarters, again. _"What do you mean by projecting?"_

"_You know how the mind stone puts images in your head? Usually while you're asleep, but when you're doing homework, or playing trivial pursuit?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You're going to do that to someone else."_

_"But I don't know how."_

_"I can show you – and the mind stone will connect us."_

_"To who?"_

"_The Collector. He isn't human – although he looks humanoid. He's ancient, and powerful, and he's entirely too eager to meet you, and will stop at nothing to do it. Which means he could go overboard and do something foolish. And dangerous for him and for your world. So, we're better off if you allow him a chance to meet you, assuage his curiosity, and give us one less problem to solve in the future. If you're good with that?"_

He knew that he was, though. Alec had Peter figured out well enough – easy to do from the inside, after all.

_"Yes. Of course."_ Peter hesitated. _"Does it hurt?"_

_"Nope. It shouldn't even wipe you out, since you're not exerting any energy. You're just going to appear to be standing in front of the guy – but you'll really be asleep in Natasha's bed."_

_"Okay."_

He went to his quarters, first, looking for Nutmeg and to get changed into sweats and a t-shirt to sleep in. The kitten wasn't in his rooms, but a neatly written note taped to the TV where he couldn't miss it informed him that Nutmeg was with Natasha, and she could either keep him for the night, or he could come and fetch him, no matter what time it was when he returned. He knew she meant it, so once he'd changed and gotten ready for bed, he wandered to the rooms next to his own, and knocked softly on the door.

Romanoff answered almost immediately. She obviously hadn't been asleep, although she was dressed similarly to himself, sweats and a t-shirt. She leaned against her doorframe, his kitten tucked in her arm and a gleam of amusement in her expressive eyes.

"Hey, sailor. Looking for a good time?"

Peter grinned.

"I just _came_ from a good time. In _Africa_. With a _princess_."

"A princess, huh?" She rolled her eyes. "I guess I can't compete with that."

"Ned and MJ were there, too."

Natasha moved to the side, to allow him to enter her quarters – although she clearly wasn't ready to give up Nutmeg, just yet. For a potentially deadly tentacle spewing alien creature, he was pretty popular with the people in the compound and Peter knew it.

"How did _that_ go?"

"It was fun." He knew she meant how was his interaction with MJ, and they went over and sat down on the sofa. "We get along great, you know? It's just the boyfriend/girlfriend thing that doesn't seem to be in the cards for us."

"Yeah. How's Shuri doing?"

"She's still sick, but coming down from it, now. Just bored being stuck in bed. I know how that feels."

"I know you do."

He smiled.

"She liked the scavenger hunt."

"Who won?"

"Ned."

Romanoff smirked.

"Big shock there."

"Right?"

"You have school, tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Then you should probably get some sleep. You can tell me about your evening, later."

She started to hand him Nutmeg, but Peter hesitated, trying to figure a way to make his request without worrying her – _or_ sounding like he was suddenly interested in her the same way Stephen was, and couldn't. Instead, he just blurted it out.

"Can I sleep with you, tonight?"

Not surprisingly, she frowned, looking concerned.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I mean… yeah. I just…" he reddened, slightly. "I… well, I kind of might be antsy."

"_Spiderman_ antsy?"

"No. Nothing like that. I won't _grope_ you. I promise."

He'd found out – _not_ from Natasha – that he'd been pretty handsy with her (and Pepper) when he'd been in toddler form, and it was now a running joke with them whenever he was cuddling with her that she was going to pull out the duct tape.

The assassin chuckled, assuming that he had a reason and wasn't ready to tell her what it was, just then. She didn't mind. And she definitely wasn't worried about being groped. He'd had his chance to do that a million times, and only when he'd been two had he ever taken advantage of it.

"I could use someone to help keep my feet warm," she agreed, getting up. "Come on. Bedtime."

"If you wore socks, it would work better."

"They always get lost in the middle of the night, and then I have to tear the bedding apart looking for them. Too annoying."

Peter smiled at the truth of that statement and followed her into her room, feeling a little nervous about what this whole projecting thing was going to feel like, and knowing that Alec had made a good call, telling him to stay close by Nat, who always made him feel safe.

OOOOOO

Taneleer Tavin was practically an immortal. He'd been around a long time – almost as long as the universe, itself – and he didn't need to sleep to refresh himself as many of the creatures around him, both working for him and in his countless exhibits did. He liked that others did it, though, because they tended to do it at the same time, syncing themselves, and that gave him a quiet time when he could settle into his favorite comfortable chair and close his eyes and think about whatever his newest project was – or whatever rumor he may have heard that he was trying to solve.

This particular evening, it wasn't a surprise to him that his thoughts immediately went to the boy from the prophesy – the one that he'd seen on the video, kidnapping his servant and his stone. He knew there was a risk in trying to find him, but Taneleer took risks all the time, and he was still around, wasn't he? He'd faced eons filled with all kinds of threats. He'd even faced down Thanos when he'd come looking for his stone.

Surely he could figure out a way to make a meeting with the boy happen? A way that assuaged his curiosity and still managed to keep his skin intact. He wasn't afraid of the child, but he was definitely wary of the connection the boy held with the stones of power. They were something to be _respected_, if not actually feared. Even for a being such as himself. But the prophecy had been around for even longer than Taneleer had, and that was saying something. The universe knew the boy long before it knew him, and he couldn't help the driving desire to meet him.

Once he had the boy's home world located, he'd send some representatives to arrange a meeting. Perhaps Danvers could be a go-between Or the Guardians? They liked his money, after all. He could probably arrange something. Perhaps-

A flash of light interrupted his musings, and he sat up, suddenly wary. A slight tingle of warning was all he had, when suddenly there was a flare in the space in front of him. When his eyes cleared and he could see again, he realized that he wasn't alone.

Standing in front of him was the very boy that he'd been thinking about. Young, and nervous looking, and dressed oddly in thin materials that were extremely loose on his lithe frame, but were worn enough that he probably garbed himself that way, often. There was an odd contraption on the boy's right hand, running from forearm down to his palm, but he raised that hand when he realized Taneleer was staring at him.

"Hi. Um… I'm Peter."


	167. Chapter 167

Taneleer's eyes widened – which was saying something, since it took a _lot_ to startle him. He knew the boy wasn't _actually_ in the room with him, but that meant a mental element that was next to impossible, considering his own real protections that were formidable, to say the least. This child had gone through them like they were nonexistent.

Luckily for him, he supposed, the boy didn't seem to appear malicious.

"Hello, Peter," he replied, realizing that he was suddenly being allowed that which he'd been wanting the most, and was careful not to scare the child away before he'd had a chance to learn about him. "My name…" he hesitated, wondering which would be the least formal. "I'm Taneleer."

"Hi."

"Tell me why you're here…"

Might as well make _sure_ there wasn't a threat, after all.

"Oh. Yeah. I was told you were curious about me." He made a wry face, as if listening to a conversation Taneleer couldn't hear. "Well, I mean, a _lot_ of people are, I suppose, but we – that is, _I_ – thought that it might be better if I came to see you, rather than have you show up on my doorstep someday."

He didn't deny the possibility.

"Where are you from?" Taneleer asked, curiously. "How do you have such a connection with the power stones? Are all your people like you?"

Another pause, and the collector was certain, now, that the boy was listening to someone else. Probably someone who was guiding him through the conversation, maybe someone who was advising him what he should tell him, and what should be kept a secret? The question about Peter's origin had been automatic, and even as he'd asked, he'd realized that it would have been foolish for the child to actually answer it. From the response, Peter knew it, as well. Because the boy didn't even acknowledge the question – much less _answer_ it.

"I'm a little different than some of them. Well, pretty much _all_ of them."

"You're _human_?"

"Yes."

"Well… well, well, well…" he looked at him, speculatively. "You're so _young_."

Peter didn't really know what to say to that, and it showed. He simply shrugged.

"Yeah. A little bit."

"You met Thanos?"

"Yes. His army, too."

"And defeated them all with a light."

"There were a _lot_ of people involved, too. It wasn't just me."

"But you wielded the stones? Like the prophesy said would happen?"

"Yes."

"How did you find them?" Taneleer asked, curiously. And with interest, since he wouldn't mind knowing where they were. "And how did you manage to survive wielding them?"

There was a slight pause, and the boy held up his hand. The one that was covered with the brace.

"They called me to them," he said, shrugging. "And I had a lot of help. I didn't know where to find them, but they apparently knew I was coming, and made sure they were where they needed to be in order for me to find them."

"Like my stone?" he asked. "And my servant?"

"I just got lucky. I literally turned around and there she was in the spaceship."

"Where is she, now?"

"That _depends_."

Now the collector saw just a hint of a challenge in the boy's expression and stance and – _of course_ – found himself feeling just a little defensive because of it.

"On…?"

"On why you want to know."

Taneleer scowled.

"She's _mine_."

"No longer. She doesn't belong to anyone, now."

"You killed her?"

"What? _No_. She's working at an orphanage. With _kids_. She likes it, and they pay her a fair wage."

"And if I want her back?" Taneleer asked. "What then?"

"She doesn't mean anything to you, Taneleer Tavin," the boy said – making the collector wonder how he knew his last name, when he knew he hadn't shared it with him. "She's safe, and she's happy, and she'll live out her days on my world, and with my people. If you want to try and come find her – or me – then I suggest you reconsider."

"You dare threaten me?"

"I'm _warning_ you," Peter corrected. "You have the stone back, that should be enough for you."

There was suddenly a vision in the man's mind. A picture that wasn't a memory (and he had eons worth of memories) and a thought that wasn't his own imagination. A picture of Thanos standing on a rooftop staring down a man in a red and gold metal suit, and a woman in blue and silver, another man in black and the boy standing by himself, holding a glove that glittered with the colors of the infinity stones. A challenge made, an answer given and a snap of the fingers causing a burst of light that was blinding, even to him.

And he wasn't even _there_.

The light expanded, and vanished along the horizon, wiping out every creature and minion in Thanos' army as it went, and taking down the mad titan, as well. A thought, as clear as if there was a voice in his head – that wasn't Peter_. It's coming this way, and nothing that is a threat to the wielder of the stones will survive its touch._ And if he left before the light arrived on his world and he avoided it? The mind stone knew. The stones would defend the boy. Would call him to them and once more he'd pick up the gauntlet and this time it wouldn't be _Thanos_ that he came looking for.

_Peter_ wasn't threatening him, Taneleer realized, but the power stones most definitely _were_, and they were making sure there wasn't any doubt that they meant what he was 'hearing'. He backed down, immediately.

You didn't live to be millions of years old by being _stupid_, after all.

"Fine," he said, magnanimously. "She can stay on your world."

The boy smiled, and the collector realized that the child wasn't even aware of the power that he possessed. Yes, he knew he could hold the stones, and he _had_ to be able to feel the connection that he had with them, but the stones were his, for as long as he lived, and would do whatever they thought was needed to ensure that he was whole and hale. He wondered if it was just the universe rewarding him for what he'd done, or if the stones themselves decided to act on their own. Whatever it was, it was amazing, and he felt an almost overwhelming urge to keep him.

"_You _can't_ keep him,"_ a voice said, ringing in his mind with a power that rivaled his own, but was tinged with amusement_. "There is a large extended family who would rise up against you with the might of countless worlds to bring him home, again."_

Not to mention the stones, came an unspoken thought. Including the one that he now held in his hand, almost forgotten in the novelty of the conversation.

"_I know,"_ he replied to that voice, alone – uncertain if the boy could hear him, but deciding that he couldn't. "_But he's extraordinary. Can I talk to him, again, someday?"_

"_Almost certainly. But let's give him a chance to heal up a bit, first. Time to cut this conversation short."_

"_Right."_ He turned his attention from the presence back to the boy. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Peter."

"Thank you, Tanaleer. You, too."

"Take care of Sirah, for me, will you? Her mother was a favorite of mine, and I promised that she would be well cared for."

"I will." He hesitated. "I like your collection."

The ancient being smiled; everyone loves a compliment, after all.

"Thank you. If you ever need something, send word. I'll do what I can to assist."

Peter nodded.

"Thanks."

There was a new flare of light, and the collector held his hand up to protect his eyes. When it faded and he lowered it, again, the boy was gone. But the container with the reality stone was still in his hand.

"That was fun," he muttered – meaning it, for the most part.

He stood up and walked toward the section of his collection where he put his favorite things, and set the sphere holding the stone on the specially lit shelf. Then he went to find something to eat.

OOOOOOOO

Peter woke with a slight start, and immediately felt the arms holding him tighten, almost imperceptibly.

"Shh…" Natasha's voice was sleepy, and the reassurance automatic. "I'm here."

He opened his eyes, almost certain that the collector was still close by, but not frightened, or anything. The guy wasn't scary like Thanos; he'd just been a little weird looking and oozing power of a different sort. The room was silent, though, and Nutmeg was cuddled somewhere above their heads on the pillows, purring loudly in his sleep.

"Sorry…" Peter whispered, burying his face back against her collarbone and closing his eyes. He wasn't shivering or cold, but he felt her tuck the blankets around the two of them, just in case. "It wasn't a bad dream."

No sense letting her think he was upset, after all.

"I know, baby," she told him. He felt her hand brush his shoulder. "Go back to sleep. Otherwise you'll be a zombie, tomorrow."

He didn't argue with her; and was asleep in moments.

Romanoff took a little longer, but that wasn't too surprising; she'd witnessed the conversation and was playing it over and over in her mind, debating whether this collector was someone that she needed to worry about as a potential threat toward Peter, or not. Eventually, she decided that he probably wasn't – although she'd make sure to talk to Stephen, and maybe Tony?, about what she'd seen.

She was fairly certain Peter wasn't going to, after all.

The assassin decided all of it could wait until morning, and allowed herself to drift off, once more.


	168. Chapter 168

"I _told_ you he was sleepy…"

Pepper smiled up at her husband before looking down at their son, who was stretched out on the sofa in her office with his head in her lap, sleeping soundly and looking comfortable.

"And I agreed with you. _Peter_ was the one who said that he didn't want to stay home."

He'd looked so tired when he'd joined them at breakfast that Tony and Pepper had both suggested he stay home, but Peter had assured them that he was fine.

"No, I'm good," he'd said. "_Really_. I'm just not adjusted to the schedule, yet, is all."

"_And_ we stayed up pretty late letting you guys hang out with Shuri."

"It was the right thing to do, though," Pepper said, before Peter said something similar. "She was so bored. Poor baby."

"Yeah, she was," Peter agreed. "It was good for her."

Tony didn't argue that. He happened to agree. Not to mention, he thought it was probably good for Peter and MJ, since the two looked pretty relaxed together when the evening was done.

"If you get tired, take a nap," Stark said, looking at the boy, and then at Pepper to see if she was good with allowing him to go. He was willing to allow her to overrule him – but she'd be the _bad guy_, and they both knew it. "Stephen said it'd be normal for you to be a bit wiped out the first week or two."

Pepper rolled her eyes, and nodded her agreement.

"I'll keep an eye on him."

"Of course you will, honey."

And that was the end of the conversation. They'd had breakfast and Peter had gone to get his things, with Pepper telling him to meet her in the garage in half an hour. They'd said goodbye to Tony – who told them that he might come into the city and have lunch with them – and had left.

She'd mentioned that he could sleep on the way if he wanted, but Peter wasn't that tired, yet. He stayed awake, talking to her about what her schedule was for the day. Which had included two video conference calls and a meeting with a potential merging company's CEO. A man who just so happened to be able to schedule the meeting because the astounding light that had healed the world's injuries and illnesses had also healed his wife's cancer, eliminating the need for him to stay with her and allowing him the chance to come to New York to meet with Pepper about their companies joining.

Pepper had warned Peter, just in case he was in the room and the subject came up, and he was glad that she had. Not that he (or _she_) had any intention of divulging Peter's part in things, but it was well known that Pepper was married to Tony, of course, and it was _just_ as well known that the Avengers had had something to do with those events. There was always a chance the man might be curious enough to ask – despite the perception that it wouldn't be polite to do so the first time they'd met.

The boy had made it through the first section of schoolwork, which had been science and was interesting, but since his next block of study had been set aside for him to work on his reading list, he'd picked up the book and taken it to the couch to be more comfortable. Pepper had been getting ready for a video conference call, and she'd asked the boy if he'd be distracted if she joined him on the couch, since there was only the one in the office. Peter had smiled a welcome that was wholly sincere, and when Pepper had brought her display over to set on the coffee table, he'd promptly put his head on her leg and sprawled in one of his favorite positions with her (and with Tony). He'd looked up at her, to make sure it was alright, and Pepper had simply brushed her fingers against his cheek, then handed him his book.

Reading himself to sleep hadn't taken long, though, and Peter was out before all the attendees were online and introducing themselves to the ones they didn't know. Even more, he was _still_ sleeping when it was over, and she hadn't bothered to move, more than capable of working from the sofa rather than her desk, and unwilling to wake him.

Which was where Tony found them when he flew in wearing the Ironman suit, deciding to have lunch with them, after all. He smiled, too. They looked so comfortable together.

"Do you want me to put him in his bed?"

They had quarters in the tower, after all. No sense in having them if they didn't ever use them. He doubted that Peter had slept in the bed in his rooms here more than three times. If that. But it was convenient to keep them open and the bedding clean and rooms dusted and ready – just in case.

"If you try, you'll wake him up."

The voices of the people that he loved the most woke him before they could decide what they wanted to do, and he opened his eyes, turning his head and looking up at them, sleepily.

"Hey…" he blinked, looking around and probably wondering if he'd been sleepwalking until he realized where he was and remembered how he'd gotten there. "Your meeting's over?"

Pepper nodded.

"It is. How was the book?"

She knew he hadn't read more than the first page – if that.

"I'm almost done," he lied, grinning as he sat up, because he knew that she knew better. "It's interesting."

"Yeah? What's the best part, so far?" she asked, smirking and turning her head to wink at Tony, who was watching, amused.

Peter bent over and picked the book up from where it had fallen, looking at the picture on the front of the cover. The entire section was going to be Shakespeare and the first one he was scheduled to read was Romeo and Juliet, but while he'd heard of it (who hadn't?) he really didn't know much about it. And the picture didn't help him come up with anything, since it simply showed two crests – presumably of the two families involved?

"Oh," he tried to look confident. "The way they like each other…"

"Who?" Pepper pressed, wondering how deep he'd dig himself, trying to fake it.

"Romeo…" Peter said. "And um… _Juliet_."

"You didn't read any of it, did you?" Tony asked, catching on.

"It's a _play_," Peter complained. "They're _hard_ to read. And _boring_."

Tony smirked.

"We'll get copies for everyone and you guys can act it out, tonight."

Pepper raised an eyebrow at that.

"You think you can talk them into that?"

"It's for _Peter_," Tony said. "Of course they will."

Maybe?

"And you, too," Pepper added.

"What? I mean, yeah, of _course_ me too." Peter smirked, now, and Stark made a show of trying to cuff him, which the boy dodged, easily. "Are you two hungry, yet?"

"Yeah."

Not surprisingly, it was Peter who spoke up first. When he was healthy, there wasn't anything wrong with his appetite. One of the reasons they used it as an indicator of how he was feeling. Pepper nodded, too, and offered her husband her hand so he could pull her to her feet.

"I could eat. Negotiating is hungry work."

He nodded, sliding his arm through hers as they headed for the door – and then the elevator.

"Speaking of negotiating, Carol's back."

"Oh? Does _Steve_ know?"

"Who do you think was the first to greet her at the door?"

"Did he kiss her?" Pepper asked.

"No." Tony's eyes were practically sparkling with good cheer. "But you could tell that he _wanted_ to. There were just too many people around, I think, for him to do it."

"She's okay?" Peter asked.

"She's fine," he confirmed. "Apparently the guardians got more than they were even asking for."

They made it to the floor that held the cafeteria, rather than the restaurant, in deference to the fact that Peter was more comfortable in the informal setting. They could have anything the restaurant made, after all – the staff would order it for them. But they didn't bother. Tony got a burger, same as his son, and Pepper had a grilled chicken sandwich. All of them ordered fries to go with them, and they walked to a table in the corner, nodding hello to many of the people who greeted them, but not actually stopping to chat with any of them, just then.

"Was he that excited to get the stone back?" Pepper asked, curiously, as they sat down.

"Nope." Tony winked at Peter, who was sitting so he could look out the window and down on the traffic and the tiny people walking along the sidewalk. "Apparently the Collector guy knows that Peter's the one who took the stone – and Sirah – from the spaceship, and he asked them to arrange a meeting."

"What?" Pepper looked worried, but Tony didn't. "What does that mean? Are we going to have to get this guy to-"

"It's okay, Pep," Tony interrupted. "They didn't tell him anything. And they did a fair job warning him off. According to Danvers, they tried to set a tracker on the Milano – probably to follow them and see where Peter's from – but Rocket found it right away, and they sent it off in a little drone thing. The guy's people will be following the thing for weeks and won't have any luck with it even when the battery dies and they find it."

Peter hesitated, but decided that Pepper still looked concerned. With an approving nudge from Alec, he cleared his throat.

"We don't have to worry about him, even then," he told them.

"Why not?" Pepper asked.

"I met him, last night, and talked to him."

"_Ah! _There's_ that vein…"_

Alec's amusement almost made Peter smile – _almost_.


	169. Chapter 169

It didn't take Peter long to tell them what had happened the night before – or walk them through the conversation that he'd had with the alien. It took a lot longer for the vein in Tony's forehead to vanish, though, and he looked more than a little annoyed by the time Peter was done.

"It never occurred to you that you should _ask_ before you did something so crazy?" he asked, telling Peter and Pepper both what he was so upset about.

"No. I mean, well, _yeah_. But I didn't know about it until after we got home, and we'd already said goodnight, and then Alec told me about what was going on with the collector and that he might try finding me and maybe come to earth and cause trouble, and…" he trailed off. "I didn't want you to worry – and I don't know how I would have been able to take you along."

And he _would_ have wanted to go along, of course.

"You're not hurt?" Pepper asked, taking a different approach to her concern. She reached for his forehead. "Is that why you're so tired, today?"

"Only because it kept me awake a little while," Peter told her, honestly. "I'm fine – and I made sure to sleep with Natasha last night, so I wouldn't sleepwalk if something happened to freak me out."

"That was smart," Pepper said, glancing at Tony, who didn't look mollified.

"You're _grounded_," Stark told the boy.

"I know."

"For another _month_."

"What? _Why_?"

"Because we just _had_ a conversation about you doing something reckless and maybe getting hurt. You're supposed to be thinking before you act. _Remember_?"

"I _did_ think," Peter said. "It was the best way to keep him from being so curious that he was going to come looking for me. Now he won't."

"You don't know that. What if he was lying? What if he knows enough about you, now, that he's going to show up on our doorstep in the middle of the night, now, and try to take you?"

The concern was very real in Tony's expression, but Peter had a counter.

"He wasn't lying."

"You don't _know_ that," Tony repeated.

"Of course I do. The mind stone would tell me – and so would Alec."

Stark scowled.

"Don't get me started on your buddy in your head, either," he said. "If I could, I'd ground _him_, too, for talking you into doing something so dumb. Or put the business end of a hoover against your ear and suck him out."

Alec snorted, amused, but Peter wasn't, at all.

"That isn't fair." He looked at Pepper, trying very hard not to automatically ask her to take his side, since he knew it wasn't fair to her, but she had to see that he wasn't being reckless. "I was just trying to help."

"Tony…" she gave him a look. "A month is a little harsh."

He looked like he'd have liked to make it a _year_, just then, but he scowled, took a deep breath and looked between the two of them.

"Fine. Two weeks."

Peter made an annoyed noise, but didn't argue. He looked down at his plate, and decided that he was done eating.

"I'm going to go back to my schoolwork."

"Good idea." Tony didn't want him to turn those big, brown, eyes on him and make him feel guilty. "I'll get copies of Romeo and Juliet and hand them out to the others."

Peter looked surprised by that, and he shook his head, gathering up his garbage.

"You don't have to. I'll just read it. They have better things to do than help me with my homework."

Tony rolled his eyes, unused to getting so much pushback from the boy and uncertain what to do about it. He wasn't going to back down, of course – no more than he already had – but he didn't want so much tension between them. Especially since Peter was so prone to self-doubts and panic attacks – not to mention the sleepwalking.

"They won't agree, son, and you know I don't, either. They love you, and so do I."

"But…?"

"No _but_. Just…" he shrugged. "Just _talk_ to someone, next time, before you decide to do something like this. If not me, then Pepper – or Natasha."

Not _Wong_, though.

"I probably won't need to do it, again." He stood up, looking disheartened and still annoyed, himself. "I'll see you, later."

He didn't stop to say goodbye to either of them, and Tony sighed.

"Well, I handled that badly, huh?"

Pepper smiled.

"You did great. But next time, talk to someone – preferably _me_ – before you decide to add to an already existing punishment. That way we're on the same page."

"You think I went too far?"

"No, Tony." She rested her hand on his forearm. "I think you did _fine_. He has a lot of power, and up until now he's only used it when it's been sanctioned. I suppose it isn't too surprising that _he_ thinks he's ready to start making his own decisions about when and where, but he's still very young. It's your job to check him up when he doesn't think, first."

"Even if I get a guilt trip? Or he gets mad?"

She smirked.

"Especially then. That's why you're the parent."

"Hmmm. He'll probably pout."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Want me to take him home with me? He could do his schoolwork there, instead."

"Of course not. Dealing with it is _my_ job, too, right? All part of being the _mom_."

She was kind of looking forward to it, really.

Stark shrugged.

"If he packs a knapsack and mentions running away from home, remind him that if he's well enough to do that, then he's probably well enough to resume his duties as kitchen/lounge helper."

"I'll be sure to mention it."

They finished their meal in good spirits, and then Tony walked her back up to her office. Peter was sitting at his desk, slumped a little with his chin resting on his left hand and his right manipulating the display – although he wasn't paying much attention to what he was doing. Tony kissed Pepper, and then walked over to stand behind Peter, bringing his arm around him, but automatically checking for fever, as well.

"I'm leaving."

"Okay."

"I'll see you, tonight."

"Yeah."

"I love you."

The boy brought his right hand up, fingers brushing Tony's facial hair.

"I love you, too."

"Good. Get something done, okay?"

"Yeah. Fly safe."

"Always."

He kissed the top of Peter's head, winked at Pepper and then headed for the large glass door, already activating his suit.

"Pizza for dinner," he told them, before he activated the helmet and took off with a blast of fiery rockets.

Pepper walked over and sat on the edge of Peter's desk.

"So what did this guy have in his collection?"

"What?"

He looked surprised by the question.

"The _collector_. What does he collect?"

"A lot of things," the boy told her, smiling. "Some of it was _alive_, I think, and some were weird-looking. Probably _alien_ things. It was like the sanctum, only a lot bigger."

"We _really_ don't have to worry about him coming to look for you?"

"No. He's not like Thanos. Not at all. He's a little crazy, but I'm pretty sure he got the answers that he wanted, and will leave me alone, now."

"Alec agrees?"

"Yes."

She nodded.

"Good." Pepper brushed her hand against his shoulder. "You're okay?"

"Yeah."

"Mad?"

"No. Just upset."

"Because you don't think you needed to ask, first?"

"If I'd asked, you guys would have said no."

"You don't know that."

"Tony's reaction just now tells me that I'm probably right."

"Maybe. But ask, first, next time. Okay? I don't like that vein that pops out when he gets upset."

Peter ignored Alec's silent reply, and just nodded.

"Okay." He hesitated. "You're mad?"

"Not too much. I can't be."

"Why not?"

"Because I love you." Pepper brushed his hair back from his forehead, pleased at his reaction to that. "And so does Tony."

"I know."

"Good. My merger meeting is coming up. I'm going to be in the conference room down the hall if you need anything."

"Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome. _Son_."

He smiled at that, and turned his attention back to his display.

Being grounded wasn't any fun, but it was a novelty to have someone do it to him, that was for sure.

"_You're going to miss that cell phone, though."_

Duh.


	170. Chapter 170

"So that's what he was up to…?"

Stark nodded, leaning back into his chair with a tired sigh.

"Apparently. He didn't say anything to you about it?"

Romanoff shook her head.

"No. Of course not. He just asked if he could sleep with me." She shrugged. "Pretty _smart_, really, if you think about it. If something scary happened, he was already in place and wasn't going to be roaming through the compound looking for one of us to keep him safe."

"Don't tell him that, okay?" Stark requested, rolling his eyes. "It _was_ smart, I'll admit, but the idea here is that he did something so crazy without running it by anyone."

"It's not like he used the teleporting rock and actually went to this guy's planet, though," Natasha pointed out. "It was a mind thing, right? The mind stone was probably right there, making sure nothing bad happened. _And_ Alec."

"It's the fact that he did it without _asking_."

"Two weeks is a long time, now that he's feeling better."

"I wanted to make it a month. Pepper talked me down to two weeks."

"Sounds a bit extreme. He was just trying to save us the trouble of having this collector guy end up on earth looking for him and causing even more headaches."

Tony scowled, annoyed with her for being so reasonable. He wanted someone to agree with him, not commiserate with Peter.

"You know, Romanoff, I can't wait until you and Stephen decide to have a kid. I'm going to sit back and watch as the little ninja wizard does something that scares the bajeezus out of you guys and then I'm going to be all kinds of calm and cool about it."

She smirked.

"Don't hold your breath."

That made him smile, though. She was practically glowing at the idea – or maybe just the fact that it was an option where it hadn't been, before – and that was incredible. He liked seeing her so happy.

"I'm not. But it might be fun to see you waddling around here, belly out to there and complaining about your back hurting and your feet swelling."

"I don't know that that's even a thing."

"Ask your boyfriend, he can tell you."

She rolled her eyes, amused.

"Are you done complaining about Peter being reckless?"

"Yes. Since you are clearly tired of listening to me. Do you have any plans, tonight?"

"No."

"Good. How would you like to be Juliet?"

"What?"

It was Stark's turn to smirk, and he opened a briefcase and tossed a book her direction. She caught it, easily, looking at the title and then at him.

"Peter needs help with his homework," Tony told her. "Apparently reading plays is boring and makes it hard to focus on the story."

"Because they _are_ boring to read," she confirmed.

"Not if you have a few avengers reading it with you and acting it out."

"No videotaping."

"Scout's honor."

"When, tonight?"

"After dinner."

"I'll think about it."

She tucked the book into her pocket, though, and was still smiling when she left. He smiled, too, and then saw Steve and Carol walk into the lounge. He waved a hand to catch their attention, and double-checked his supply of copies of the play. Yup, there were plenty.

"Hey, Tony," Steve said, coming over. "What's up?"

"Funny you should ask. What are you two doing, tonight?"

OOOOOO

He was waiting for them when they pulled into the parking garage. Pepper smiled a greeting as she stopped the car, but Peter looked annoyed.

"How was the drive?" he asked her, taking her bag when he opened the door for her, and brushed a kiss against her cheek.

"Nice. The company was good."

That earned her a smile from the boy next to her. He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

"I should go spend some time with Nutmeg," Peter said.

"You should come look and see what you think of the work I've started on your car," Tony corrected. "I think the bumper is going to be the easy part – and the new lights are supposed to be here, tomorrow. If I get all the pieces built, we might be able to start to assemble it this weekend."

"Really?" That definitely perked him up.

"Go look."

Peter moved over to the other side of the garage.

"Are you being nice to make up for grounding him?"

"No. I already planned on doing it – and he knows it. Why does he look upset? Is he still mad at me?"

"He sent Ned and the others an email to let them know that he's grounded, longer, now, and they weren't very nice about asking what dumb thing he'd done this time." She smiled. "Except for MJ. She just assumes he's going to do something dumb, now, I suppose."

"He didn't tell them, I assume?"

"No. But you know they're going to pressure him for a reason, and he's not very good at coming up with things like that. You might give him an idea of what he should say."

"Yeah." He smiled, though, and took her elbow. "The car's going to look great," he said, leading her over to where Peter was standing at the front of the Pontiac, looking at the pieces of the front end that Tony had already started.

The boy looked over at him.

"You did all this, today?"

"Manufacturing is the easy part, son," he said, modestly. "Putting the pieces back on in the right spot is a little trickier. We'll work on it this weekend."

"Okay."

"How was school?"

"It was good."

"Homework?"

"Nope."

Pepper smiled.

"He finished early and went to his room and played pinball."

"Sounds good. Are you hungry? We're going to order pizzas, tonight."

Which didn't sound like that big of a deal, except that there weren't any pizza places within delivery range of the compound. That meant that when the Avengers (usually Peter, really) wanted pizza, they tended to order them, have the pizza place make them and then freeze them so they could be picked up by someone, brought back to the compound and cooked in the ovens of the commissary or the lounge so they would be hot.

Pizza was a big deal and it always made Peter smile.

"Sounds great. Yeah."

"Clint's going to go get it. If you want to go and make sure he doesn't bring back anchovies, go find him. We'll be in the lounge waiting with beer."

"Okay."

Looking considerably more cheerful, Peter headed for the door to the garage.

"But no beer for _you_!" Tony added, quickly.

The boy waved his hand to show he'd heard, but didn't stop. Pepper smiled, and put her arm back through his.

"You know, when I was a kid, being grounded meant I didn't get to go anywhere…"

"You grew up on a farm," he pointed out. "Where did you even want to go? Someone else's farm?"

"You're such a softie…"

He snorted, and led her away from Peter's somewhat dismantled car.

"Don't tell anyone."

"Because they don't already suspect?"

He rolled his eyes.

"How's the school thing working out? Think it'll keep him occupied and distracted? Or do we need to come up with recess activities to break up his day?"

"You might start thinking up field trip ideas."

Tony smiled.

"I can do that."

"_Educational_ field trips," she added. "Not trips to the arcade."

How well she knew him.

"The track?" he asked, blandly. "Strip club?"

Pepper snorted, amused.

"Never mind; _I'll_ come up with field trip ideas. Maybe I'll see if Elon will show him around his New York office."

"Boring. He might as well be _grounded_."

Which made her smile.

"Did you find anyone to help him with the play?"

"Of course. We'll begin reading it after dinner. There aren't a lot of women roles, though. If you want to play, too, you might have to be Montague."

"Not Romeo?"

"Steve's Romeo, tonight. If we don't finish, you can be him, tomorrow."

"And you'll be Juliet?"

He smirked.

"We'll see."


	171. Chapter 171

"Please tell me Friday's recording this…"

Tony smirked, watching as Peter and Clint started swinging swords at each other, affecting the brawling of two household servants – but really just putting two broom handles in the hands of the two most likely to accidentally whack each other into submission.

"I promised Natasha I wouldn't."

Pepper looked down at the book in her hand – the same book that everyone in the lounge now had a copy of. All were thumbing through it, but Bruce had surprised them by tossing his to the side, reminding Tony that his minor had been in theater way back in the day. He had the play memorized and had asked Peter if he could be the friar.

"Why did you give those two sticks?" a lazy drawl asked, incredulously, making them both look up at Stephen, who had been told what was going on that even and had just arrived in the compound to observe. "I only have so many suturing kits."

Stark smiled at that.

"They're being careful."

Which wasn't quite right – as proven almost immediately when Clint whacked Peter with the stick he was holding, making the boy laugh and Steve shake his head.

"Are they Romeo and Paris?"

"They're family servants," Pepper told the sorcerer, settling in next to Tony to wait for her part to come up. "We're at the beginning of the play, not the end."

"Good." A bowl of popcorn appeared in his lap and he offered it to Pepper, who smiled, but was watching Peter and Clint – just to make sure. "Who are you playing?"

"Lady Capulet."

"And Tony?"

"I'm Tybalt."

"My nephew."

"Want to be in the play?" Tony offered. "We could find you a bit part."

"I'll pass." He grimaced when Peter barely dodged a swing of the broom handle that Clint aimed at his head – although both participants in the servant's brawl were clearly having a good time. "Who is Natasha playing?"

"Juliet."

"Who's Romeo?"

"Steve."

"Carol's alright with that?"

Proving that the sorcerer was kept up on all the gossip around the compound. Of course, he was; Natasha didn't like secrets (aside from her own, of course) and she was everywhere when it came to the compound. A fun juicy bit of gossip like that was not something to be ignored.

"Carol is playing Benvolio."

Stephen made an amused noise, and settled in with his popcorn to watch.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"It wasn't a very happy ending…" Peter said, frowning.

"It's a _tragedy_," Tony reminded him, watching with Peter as Steve and Natasha both picked themselves up off the floor – along with Bruce, who had played Paris. "It's not _supposed_ to have a happy ending. Pepper told you that."

"I thought she meant tragedy, like ugh, it's a tragedy that none of these people can say a simple greeting without it being nine paragraphs long."

Pepper chuckled, putting her arms around him.

"That's how they spoke back then."

"I'm glad I wasn't alive then. I wouldn't have been able to get beyond _good morning_, probably, without getting my tongue tied."

"You'd probably be married and a father by now, if you lived back then," Strange pointed out. "They started very young, for the most part."

"Ugh." Peter shook his head. "_That_ would be a tragedy, too."

"Keep that in _mind_," Tony told him.

The boy grinned and moved away to help gather up the props that they'd been using and start putting the tables back where they belonged, now that they were done with their recreation of the play. Strange glanced at his friend.

"Natasha told me what he did." No surprise there, really. "Any side effects?"

"He was _sleepy_, earlier this morning. No fever, though, or anything like that. Just stayed up too late, he said."

"You've kept an eye on him, presumably?"

"It's what we _do_, Stephen," Stark pointed out. "Pepper had him all day, and aside from the conversation about it, and the subsequent groundation that followed, he's fine."

"Two more weeks." Strange was amused. "The kid's never going to have a social life."

"He does fine." Although Pepper and Tony were both always worried about just how well adjusted their son could be, surrounded by adults like he was – never mind the fact that they were _superheroes_. "He got to hang out with Ned, MJ and Shuri. That's better than a lot of grounded kids would be allowed."

"And he spends time with Clint," Pepper added, watching as the archer came up behind Peter and pretended to hit him with a chair he was moving, only to have the boy turn the tables on him and tackle him, chair and all, until the two were wrestling on the floor, egged on by Bruce and Carol, who were making bets over the outcome. "But we'll have him back in school, next semester, so he'll have a chance to see more people his own age, again."

"You guys are doing an amazing job with him," Strange assured them. "He's not a normal kid, by any means, and that is going to make things difficult for him. The fact that he has the friends that he does, and the support that he needs is showing in how confident he is in his abilities."

Both looked pleased by the compliment, but the sound of a chair breaking drew the conversation to a quick halt. Tony rolled his eyes and moved to save Peter, who was pinned by a chair that Clint had set on him and then seated himself awkwardly onto, but it was Bruce who jumped into the fray, turning himself green with a casual thought, and picking up the archer in his mammoth arms like the man weighed nothing. Tony stayed next to Pepper, and now Peter was wrestling Hulk, and it was obvious that Banner was thoroughly enjoying the fact that he had utter control of the rage monster.

Enough that he could even risk a little rough housing.

"He's getting healthier, anyway," Tony said.

Strange nodded.

"True." They could probably lose the brace any day, also. "Have you started thinking about how to return the remaining stones?"

Tony frowned.

"I've been giving it a lot of though, but from what I understand from the guardians, the people that had the power stone are gone, almost completely – certainly enough that they're not going to be able to keep it safe – so we don't have any clue what to do with it. Have you and Wong been looking into it?"

"Wong has, since he recognized that issue, almost immediately. The other is the soul stone. Peter told me that the man with the red skull gave it to him, and that he doesn't know if he has to take it back and hand it to him, personally, or how to return it. Or even really where he was when he got it."

"I'm more worried about the whole sacrifice thing," Tony said, softly, watching over Strange's shoulder as Peter and Clint wrestled the Hulk down (with a little cooperation from the monster) and were now sitting on him, while Natasha and Steve watched with thinly veiled amazement at seeing such a volatile creature actually playing around. Bruce was a lot like Peter, really, with a very serious side, due to the secrets that he kept. It was clearly a relief for him to have control of the brutish nature of his condition. "What if you have to sacrifice to return it, as well?"

"Have you asked Alec?"

Stark scowled.

"He's the one who told Peter to go confront this Collector guy."

"He's also been around a lot longer than you and I. And he's connected with the mind stone. You might ask. Even though it means Peter knows your concerns."

"He's just getting back in the swing of things," Tony said. "I don't want him worrying, again."

Stephen shrugged.

"He and Alec are probably already beginning to think about it," he replied. "It might not be a bad idea to address it – before the voice in his head points out it might be an errand best handled solo. To avoid risking any of you."

Now Pepper frowned, too, although the Hulk had turned the tables on Clint and Peter, now, and had them both pinned under him, with Natasha finally joining the fray – although Carol and Steve simply watched, rescuing furniture whenever those wrestling around on the floor came too close to smashing something.

"You'd better talk to him, Tony," she told her husband. "I don't want him doing anything dangerous – and I don't want him _grounded_, again – at least not for a while."

"Yes, honey."

Strange smirked.

He was so whipped.


	172. Chapter 172

Peter didn't go to bed right away when he said goodnight to the others.

Instead, he gathered up Nutmeg and sat on the couch with his laptop, firing off emails to Ned, MJ and then Shuri, telling them about the play and who played what character – as well as the wrestling match at the end, and the swordfight with Clint that began the story. He didn't mention Bruce becoming the Hulk, since none of them knew Banner's alter-ego.

He immediately received a reply from Shuri – not surprisingly, since she was stuck in her bed, still – although she mentioned that the healers were telling her only another day or so before she would be released from their care and allowed to get out of bed. Texting was a lot easier than replying to emails and he received replies from MJ and Ned as he was returning Shuri's. Clearly his friends felt the same way, as he received a lot of rubbing about forcing them back into the dark ages of technology and making them use email.

Peter was smiling by the time MJ told them she was being told to get to bed, and Ned had signed off to finish up a science paper. Shuri didn't end her art of the email chatter as quickly, and she probably would have been willing to continue all night, but she knew that it was getting late where Peter was, and she told him to go to bed and she would talk to him the next day. He signed off and closed his laptop, and leaned back with Nutmeg on his chest, now, purring as Peter stroked his furry little body, examining him. He'd had the little guy for several months, now, but he was still pretty small.

Maybe flerkin grew slower? The boy booped the kitten on the nose, receiving a look of annoyance in exchange for the action and he smiled. He _should_ go to bed, but the nap earlier, and the physical activity of wrestling made him a little antsy more than anything, and instead he picked up the remote and turned on the display in front of him. Rather than watch a movie, however, he pulled up the video that his parents had made – starring him as a baby – and watched it through, studying his dad, mostly, since there was only one segment where she was holding him instead.

He smiled, having no trouble recognizing the absolute love that he saw in his dad's eyes when the man looked at the child he was holding. Peter saw that same look every day when he talked to Tony. Even when he was annoyed with him for doing something crazy, or dangerous. Peter suddenly turned the display off, restless, and he set Nutmeg down on the sofa and headed for the door.

"Karen? Tell Friday that I'm not sleepwalking, and she doesn't need to wake anyone up."

"_Done. Where are you going?"_

"To the garage – but I'm not _driving_, or anything."

He walked through the compound on silent feet, well aware that whoever was in the control room would know he was out and about, but not worried about that. He didn't mind being tracked through the corridors, or even when he arrived in the garage and went to stand in front of the car that his father had left him. The car that he'd almost destroyed being rash and making stupid decisions. The car that Tony was pretty much rebuilding for him, even though he completely would have deserved to have been told that it was going to be left a crumpled mess to remind him how dumb he'd been.

"You okay?"

He'd felt him on the edge of his peripheral, but Tony was so familiar to him that Peter's spider senses didn't even do much more than register that he was there. Peter nodded, turning to see that Tony was walking up to stand beside him. His adoptive father was wearing lounge pants and an MIT t-shirt, with a pair of suede slippers to keep his feet warm. He didn't look worried, though, Peter saw.

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Tony asked, looking at the car and wondering if the boy was worried about how they were going to get the pieces back together.

"How lucky I am."

"Yeah?"

Peter nodded.

"Yeah. I lost mom and dad, and May stepped up and was there for me. Then, when I lost her, you and Pepper did the same thing, making sure that I know just how much you love me. I've got all the Avengers right there, willing to do something so crazy as read Shakespeare plays with me to help with my homework, and wrestle with me – even _Bruce_, now. No one else can say that. I'm _probably_ the luckiest guy on the planet."

"_Second_ luckiest, maybe," Tony told him, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. He smiled at Peter's questioning look. "_I'm_ the luckiest."

"Yeah?"

"I was a real ass…" Stark reminded him. "Didn't get along that well with my folks, got along awful with the rest of the world. Made a lot of money, and treated the woman who was doing everything that she could to keep me from losing all of it like a piece of furniture – or a substitute teacher, maybe? Now look at me; I'm a superhero and get to play with gadgets that would make Area 51 drool – _if_ I told them I had them. I'm _married_. And I have a kid to finish raising and share all of that with. It seems _incredible_, sometimes."

"Not _all_ the time," Peter said, flushing with pleasure at being counted as something so amazing to the man. It _was_ Tony Stark, after all. "Not when I do dumb stuff."

"Especially then." He smiled. "I did dumb stuff, right? So who better to understand you when it happens than me? The dumb stuff is _supposed_ to happen."

"And the _dangerous_ stuff?"

"That can be worrisome," Tony admitted. "But that's a learning opportunity, too, right? You do something dangerous; I yell at you and tell you not to do it, again, and hopefully you _don't_. One less dangerous thing I need to worry about you doing in the future. See how that works?"

"I guess."

The two stood side by side for a long moment, just being happy to be with the other. Tony squeezed his shoulder, then.

"_Speaking_ of the dangerous stuff…"

Peter looked over at him.

"Yeah?"

"What do we do about the two remaining stones? Has the mind stone, or anything else given you any idea where they're supposed to go? Does Alec know?"

"We were talking about it, a little bit," Peter replied. "The soul stone has to go back to the planet that I found it on, but I don't know exactly how to get there – and I'm not sure what to do with it once we get it there."

"You can't just leave it on the ground, I suppose."

"Yeah. And I didn't see a fountain or something to toss it into, either. But if I can get there, I suppose the skull guy could give me an idea of how to return it – or maybe I'm supposed to just hand it to him."

"How do we get there? I don't like the idea of you trying to use the space stone, again – not now that we have your hand healed."

"Yeah, neither do I," Peter agreed. "Maybe the teleportation stone. It could get me there."

"And leave you flattened," Tony said, shaking his head. "Maybe too wiped out to get yourself home. That isn't going to happen."

Peter hesitated, and Tony realized from the distracted expression that he was almost certainly listening to Alec. Sure enough, the boy shrugged.

"Alec thinks that we might be able to get Stephen to help."

"He's never been there, though," the billionaire said. "He has to know where he's going."

"I've been there, though. If the mind stone shows him my memories like they're his own, it might be a good enough visualization to allow him to form a portal. Then it wouldn't be hard to get there, at all, and I wouldn't have to go alone."

He didn't want to face that dark place alone, again.

"We'll ask him," Tony agreed, thinking that it was a pretty good idea. "Tomorrow. After school."

"Yeah. Okay."

"And the power stone?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, we'll worry about that, later. If we get the soul stone out of our hair, we'll be down to just the one. That would make things a little less tense, right?"

"True."

"Good." He used the grip that he had on Peter's shoulder to turn the boy away from the car and toward the door. "Come on; it's late, and I know you're going to be getting up early. We don't want mom dealing with a grumpy teenager if we can avoid it."

"Okay."

"I love you. I've said that, right?"

Peter nodded.

"Today, even." He smiled, giving him a sly look. "Enough to unground me?"

"Enough that I might ground you for another _year_, just to keep you around."

Peter rolled his eyes.

"I'll _pass_."

Tony chuckled, hugged him and then pushed him toward the corridor that led to the boy's quarters.

"Go to bed, son."

"Goodnight, dad."

Tony waited until he vanished around a corner, and then he turned and headed for his rooms, too.


	173. Chapter 173

_A/N: Hope you are all staying safe in these weird, trying times! As for the soul stone; I haven't been able to see anything about an official way of returning it, so I'm going to make my own process. Thanks for staying with me, I know this story is long._

OOOOO

Peter was tired the next morning – not surprisingly.

"We're going to have to do a better job of getting you back into your routine," Tony commented as he walked with the boy and Pepper to the car. "You look like you're ready to fall asleep on your feet."

"It's the extra therapy stuff," Peter told him, shrugging. "When I'm done swimming every day and I'm more used to waking up early, again, I'll be fine."

"He can sleep on the drive," Pepper said – to both of them. "I'm going to be in a conference call so he won't want to stay awake, anyway."

She winked at Peter, who smiled and then looked at Tony.

"I'm good."

He wasn't above napping on the way – he'd done it many times – but he didn't want her to think that it was because what she did was boring.

Tony nodded.

"Keep her out of trouble, son," he said. "Don't let the other person win the meeting."

"Not all meetings are competitions," Pepper said, rolling her eyes.

"_Everything_ is a competition," her husband told her, opening her car door for her. "Drive safe."

"I will."

She kissed him and got into the car, and Tony caught Peter's eye over the roof before the boy got into the car as well.

"You're good?"

"Yeah."

"Let me know if Alec has any thoughts about what we talked about last night, okay?"

"I will."

Peter got into the car, pointedly buckled his seatbelt, and settled in for the drive. Pepper patted his leg, and then turned on the car's communications, bringing up the interactive software that would allow her to conduct her conference call while she drove. By the time everything was set up, she was on the highway heading toward the city.

Before her attendees of the call all came online, Peter was already asleep next to her. Pepper smiled, softly, and turned on the seat warmer, as well as the heater in the car. It wasn't that _cold_, really, but she didn't want him to be uncomfortable.

All part of the mom thing, she told herself, before she turned her attention to her meeting.

OOOOOOO

Tony spent the morning working on manufacturing the driver's side fender for Peter's Pontiac. It was relaxing, and enjoyable for him, and it gave him time to mull over the problem of the two remaining stones that were still embedded in the polymorph that was sitting in the safe in his and Pepper's quarters. They needed to get them taken care of – and as soon as possible, really.

For one thing, he didn't like the target they represented to the compound and the earth, and for another, they needed the closure on the whole killing Thanos and defeating his army and saving half the universe thing for Peter. They were getting him back on track, now, and they wanted to keep moving that forward.

It was just a matter of making sure that whatever the solution was, it was done without injuring him.

He was still thinking about it when Stephen and Wong both walked into the garage where he was welding the last two pieces of the front bumper together a few hours later. Friday drew his attention to them, but Tony wasn't lost in his own world so much that he'd missed their arrival, and he turned off the torch, lifting the protective mask to look at them.

"Gentlemen."

"Tony." Both sorcerers studied the damage to the car, and the pieces that were accumulating to repair it. "How's it going?"

"We'll start putting it together this weekend, and see what parts we still need. Headlights should be here today or tomorrow."

"It'll be the same as it was?" Wong asked.

"Yeah. It should." He shrugged. "If we do it right, no one will ever be able to tell it was wrecked." He took his gloves off, and set his equipment aside. "I assume that since you're both here, this isn't a social call to see Romanoff…?"

"No." Strange smirked. "Peter called me about twenty minutes ago."

"Oh?"

"Yes. He told me about the conversation the two of you had, last night, and asked my thoughts on the idea of using his connection with the mind stone to locate this planet to return the soul stone."

"And…?"

"And I wanted to hear what your concerns are before we all sit down and discuss it."

"My concern is that I don't want Peter to have to try and use Thor's rock to find this planet, again," Tony said, walking over and sitting himself on the hood of Natasha's Corvette. She and some of the others – including Carol – were dropping parachutists that afternoon and were down in North Carolina, so she wouldn't know he was rubbing his rear on her favorite sportscar. "I'd much rather use a portal – which would also allow me to go with him, to keep him out of trouble."

"He doesn't know how to return it, though?" Wong asked. "The stone hasn't given him any indication of what to do?"

"Not that I'm aware," Tony confirmed. "I assume there's a trick to it, though. Someone has to have used it, before, and returned it. Maybe we appear on the planet with the rock in hand and it just vanishes."

"Something tells me the real deal will be a little more profound," Stephen said, speculatively. "I agree that it isn't something he should be attempting alone. You're not against him going, though?"

"I get the feeling he _has_ to," Stark replied. "Otherwise I'd have you make a portal and we'd just toss it through. If we portal in – if we can figure out a way to do it – then I'll go, and Peter, both wearing our suits in case the atmosphere is off, and we can do what needs to be done and portal out."

"With _me_," Strange added. "I don't need a suit to breathe. I can use a spell."

"Good enough."

"It'll depend on the mind stone, then," Wong said. "If it can give Stephen a visual of where to go, he should be able to make a portal. The other option would be the teleportation stone, and since we don't know where this planet is, we don't know the distance involved and if the jump would be survivable. Not a risk to take if we can avoid it."

"Not a risk to take, at all," Tony agreed. "I'll bury the thing in my backyard before I let him try that."

"And the power stone?" Stephen asked. "What is the plan for it? Presumably we're not going to be returning it to Xandar?"

"Probably not. We'll worry about one at a time, though."

"The power stone is the most dangerous of them," Wong reminded both men. "I don't like the idea of it being left where someone could repeat what happened to the former guardians of it."

"I agree," Strange said, nodding. "It'll bear some consideration."

"So, you're willing to try this mind stone portal thing?"

"Yes, of course. Talk with Peter this evening – and see if Alec can nudge something from the mind stone. I'm not sure how it would work, since I'm not going to be able to do a Vulcan mind meld on your son and get the visual from _him_, so the stone will have to cooperate a little."

"We'll figure it out. Thanks."

"Of course." The sorcerer looked at the car. "You realize I could have this back together with the wave of my hand, right?"

"Yeah. But it's better this way."

"I suppose."

Tony looked at his watch.

"Stay for lunch?"

"Sure."


	174. Chapter 174

"So how did he do?"

Pepper was in the process of changing her shirt, so she didn't answer, right away. When she had pulled on a more casual polo shirt to match the jeans she was now wearing, she shrugged.

"His schoolwork is fine. He probably doesn't really need Friday and me hovering over his shoulder asking him what we can do for him. But he was definitely distracted, today."

"Did you ask him why?"

"Of course," she smiled to soften the annoyance that she heard in her own tone. "I wanted to make sure his hand wasn't hurting – from using the mouse, or tapping his display, or the typing he was doing when writing the report for the play."

"And?"

"He said he was fine, just thinking."

"About the infinity stones? Or about _Romeo and Juliet_?"

She smiled, and tucked her shirt into her jeans, before putting her hair into a ponytail.

"My question, exactly. About the power stones, he said." She knew what was going on, of course, and was just as concerned about keeping Peter from hurting himself now that they had him back up and running. "How to return the soul stone – and how to keep it from hurting him when he did."

"He'll use the gauntlet."

"Except that then that leaves the _power stone_ sitting in our safe with nothing buffering it."

Tony frowned.

"Oh. Yeah, I didn't consider that."

"Neither did I. _He's_ thinking about it, though. Him and Alec, I suppose."

"And…?"

Pepper sat down beside him on their bed with a tired and worried sigh, and leaned into Tony when he put his arm around her and kissed her temple, softly.

"He told me on the way home that he thinks it'll be safer if he just takes the power stone with him when he returns the soul stone."

"Seriously?"

"He doesn't like the idea of it being out in the open – even in our safe – without anything dampening the power. He said that Alec thinks it's not an issue, but he's nervous enough about it that he'd rather risk the ache that'll come with having it with him when he takes the soul stone back."

"How much _ache_ are we talking about?"

"Peter didn't tell me." She rolled her eyes. "You know how he is; '_it probably won't be too much… just a bit more than a single stone_.'"

"He's a pretty tough guy," Tony reminded her, trying to reassure. "Maybe he can handle two of them. It was all five that really hurt him – and the snap was what injured him. We'll wait and see if Stephen has any ideas about keeping the power stone here while we take Peter to this soul stone planet."

"It's called _Vormir_," Pepper told him, standing up and offering him her hand.

"How do you know that?"

"Peter told me, of course. How else would I know? It's not really a name I'd manage to pull out of my rear, now is it?"

He smiled, allowing her to pull him to his feet so they could go meet their son for dinner.

"That's so _crude_, Pep…" he made a show of kissing her hand and working his lips along her arm in a fair imitation of a movie character that they'd seen in a film they'd watched with Peter. "I love it when you do that…"

She chuckled.

"Just don't tell Peter."

OOOOOOOOO

Peter was sitting on one of the sofas in the lounge when they walked in. He was holding Nutmeg and leaning back so the kitten was sitting on his chest while he pet him. The boy smiled at them, clearly in a good mood, but didn't get up. It was still too early to be hungry and Nutmeg was asleep. He was pinned in place by a full pound and a half of purring, slumbering, adorable cuteness. Instead, he watched as they walked over to where he was sitting, and each took a spot on either side of him. Not to bolster as they normally did, but because it was habit, by then.

Nutmeg woke when Pepper reached for him, plucking him from Peter's chest, but he didn't complain with so much as a mew when she cuddled him under her chin.

"You know what we should do," Tony said, looking at the kitten and continuing the conversation they'd been having without Peter. "We should feed the power stone to Nutmeg. That'd keep it safe, right? And it wouldn't hurt him. He ate the _tesseract_, Nick said."

"Not him," Peter corrected. "_Goose_."

"Both Flerkins, though, right?"

"Nutmeg's a _baby_," Peter pointed out. "It might hurt him. Besides, what if we want it for something? Or what if _it_ decided it wanted to be elsewhere? Could it move itself and hurt him to get free?"

"You already thought about it?" Tony guessed.

"Yeah."

Tony had met him and Pepper in the garage when they'd arrived home. He'd shown them the progress he was making on the Pontiac, and Peter would have felt guilty for all the work that he was putting into repairing the damage that he'd caused, except that it was obvious that Tony was thoroughly enjoying himself doing it. Then they'd split up; Tony and Pepper heading to their rooms so she could change into something a lot more comfortable, and Peter heading directly to the lounge – with a detour to go by the command center and rescue the SHIELD agents from being forced to deal with the mischievous kitten near their sensitive equipment.

Natasha and the others weren't back, yet, but that wasn't a surprise. Nick had been pressed into dog-sitting for Jack, since Steve hadn't yet convinced the lab that flying was fun, and the dog was still puppy enough that he was easily distracted and was extremely good at finding trouble or causing it with ease. Ironpig had spent some of the afternoon watching Tony work in the garage, but the piglet had wandered back to his enclosure to find dinner and then sleep off his busy day of sleeping.

"Well…" Tony shrugged. "It was just a thought. I'm willing to be overruled on it."

"I think it'd be safer to just take it with me," Peter said, uncertainly, and watching Tony's expression. When the billionaire didn't get too concerned, he decided that Pepper had probably already brought the notion up with him while she was changing. "It _probably_ wouldn't be too bad. When I was gathering the stones, before, they didn't really start to hurt until the third or fourth one was added. Before that, it was just an ache. I could handle that for a while."

Neither of them looked entirely convinced, but to their credit, they didn't dismiss the idea, immediately.

"We'll worry about that when we get an idea of if we can even get there," Tony decided. "No sense worrying about it, yet."

"Besides, who knows when we'll find out if the link to the mind stone thing will work?" Pepper pointed out. "It could take weeks."

Peter shook his head.

"I think it's going to happen a lot sooner than that."

"Why do you say that?" Tony asked.

The boy shrugged.

"It's just a feeling I have."

"Spider senses thing?"

"I'm not sure. There's an urgency – kind of. I don't think it's coming from me, though. I think it's coming from the soul stone. It wants to go back, and it's reminding me that I can't keep it?"

"Not that you want to," Pepper said.

"Right. I was thinking about it, earlier. And trying to sort it out in my head. Alec says the soul stone is the repository for every soul that's ever been. He was there, so he knows better than I do, I guess. But apparently that makes it a pretty powerful thing to have control of, since I guess if you wield the stone, and you can convince it of your intentions, you can pretty much have access to all of them."

"Which could be incredibly tempting."

Peter nodded.

"And disastrous, too. So I need to get rid of it as soon as possible – before I start trying to justify reasons to use it, again."

He looked a little afraid of that possibility, and Pepper and Tony couldn't blame him.

"Let's have dinner," Stark suggested. "Then we'll find a diversion and I'll trounce the two of you at the game of your choice before bed."

Peter nodded his willingness and looked at Pepper, hopefully. He was ready to be done worrying for a while, if he could.

She recognized that, and she nodded, as well.

"We have an appointment to have your hand checked, tomorrow," she reminded him. "So I want to make an early night of it."

Not to mention two days in a row of him being tired all day. They definitely needed to start getting him back into a routine of getting some real rest.

"Yeah."

He agreed, completely – but he wanted some quiet time with them, first. Family time.

Tony took Nutmeg from Pepper and flipped the kitten on his back so he could rub the furry light-colored fuzz there, cuddling him.

"_You_ don't get to play, though, mister."

Nutmeg just purred, making a grab for Tony's finger so he could gnaw on it.

He didn't _want_ to play.


	175. Chapter 175

"Why do you look so _tired_?"

Peter smiled, able to see that Tony looked more exasperated than concerned.

"Sorry."

"You slept okay?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't stay up all night, emailing Shuri?"

Since Ned and MJ were – _presumably_ – sleeping, the Wakandan princess was the first suspect when it came to keeping Peter too distracted to sleep.

"No. Only a couple of emails before she told me to go to bed."

"And you did?"

"I went," Peter confirmed. "But I didn't go to sleep, right away."

"Because…?"

"Because I was _thinking_."

Tony rolled his eyes, looking at Pepper, who had been watching them as she buttered her toast.

"Are you listening to this. '_I was thinking…_' Like he needs to stay up all night _thinking_, instead of getting sleep."

Pepper wasn't the only one to smile at that, but she turned to their son, and her expression was a little concerned.

"We can keep you home, you know. The school thing is important, but we can just ease you into it, especially with everything else that's going on."

"No. I'm good. Really. I was just thinking about the doctors checking my hand, today."

"You're worried?" Tony asked, glancing down at the brace on the boy's hand. "Is it bothering you?"

"Not too much. But it'll be a relief to get the brace off."

"I imagine it will be," Pepper agreed. She shrugged, then. "If you're sure you're good, then we'll see how it goes. If you're still tired after the doctors check your hand, then Tony can bring you home and we'll make a half day out of it."

Peter nodded.

"Alright."

He had practice, today, so he had no intention of going home early.

"If they take the brace off, you're back to kitchen boy status," Tony added, smirking.

"I'm not worried."

His expression proved that. The boy was cheerful. They'd had an easy night the evening before, spending time together playing Scrabble until Pepper had finally called it a night and sent them all to bed. Peter had gone, willingly, taking Nutmeg with him, and swinging by to check and make sure that Ironpig was in his pen – and stopping to see if Nick needed any help with Jack, who was sprawled in the director's bed, snoring, while Fury had been sitting at his desk debating if he wanted a furry bedmate, or not.

Then he'd gone to bed, but had chatted through emails with Shuri, who had assured him she was feeling much better and had reminded him that he should get some sleep. He'd intended to do just that, but his thoughts had been scattered, mostly thinking about the appointment the next day, and the fact that losing the brace meant that he was well enough to be able to Spiderman, again, and take care of the remaining stones.

Maybe he'd be able to get all of this mess past him and be normal for a while.

"_You're far from normal,"_ Alec had reminded him, cheerfully. _"You're incredible."_

Peter had actually blushed, and had smiled, knowing that the extraordinary ancient sorcerer had been sincere. Then he'd gone to sleep, soothed by the mind stone and dreams of planets floating in the darkness of space.

"The appointment is at 11:30," Pepper reminded Tony. "Doctor Thompson is going to be there, along with Stephen."

"I'll be there," Stark assured her.

"Academic decathlon practice, today, too," Peter added, looking pleased.

Pepper nodded.

"I haven't forgotten."

Tony frowned, though, because he had.

"It's at the school?"

"At 3 o'clock," Peter confirmed.

"How are we getting him there?"

"I'll take the bus."

"And I'm picking him up when it's over – I'll make sure I'm finished working by then."

"I could stick around the city and drive you there," Tony offered. "I'm not doing anything too important, today."

Rather than feel like he was being stifled, Peter understood that Tony just wanted to be there for him, and he appreciated it. Enough so that he nodded his agreement.

"Sounds great."

OOOOOOO

"Is Parker coming to practice?"

Ned nodded, looking up from his phone and seeing Flash standing at the table watching him.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just checking. My dad said he was going to go check his hand, today, before lunch."

"It looks good," MJ told him. "He'll probably get the brace off, soon."

"Thanks to my dad."

Ned rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, all because of your _dad_, Flash." He wondered privately if Dr. Thompson was as much of a douche as his son was, or if there was a different source for the hostility in the other teen. Not that he cared enough to find out, though. "It didn't have anything to do with Peter being young and healthy."

"Are you going to be there?" MJ asked, not interested in watching the two boys go at each other. "We're working on the sciences."

"I'll be there. Got to make the rest of you look good, after all."

Flash walked off, and Ned shook his head, looking at MJ.

"You're the captain of the team. I think you should be able to tell him off."

She shrugged.

"Wouldn't do any good. He does what he wants, pretty much." They already knew that, after all. She smiled, though, and suddenly looked excited. "He'll _want_ to be there, anyway," she added. "There's a special announcement that's going to be made."

Ned looked interested – of course.

"Yeah? What?"

MJ smirked.

"You have to wait – just like everyone else."

OOOOOOOOO

"This place really is beautiful," Dr. Thompson said, looking around as they walked into Pepper's office. "I drive by it pretty much twice a day but this is the first time I've ever been inside."

"I'll have someone giver you a tour before you leave, if you're interested," Tony offered. "There's a fair amount of medical research going on above us."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you." He smiled, turning his attention the actual reason for being there – which was sitting on the edge of Pepper's desk, where he'd been watching her and her personal assistant sort through some paperwork. "Hello, Peter."

"Hi, Doctor Thompson. How are you?"

"Well, thank you." The doctor nodded to Stephen, who had been seated on the sofa where he'd been sipping coffee with Tony until the call had come from the lobby that the doctor was there for Peter's appointment. "Doctor Strange. Nice to see you, again."

"Thank you. And you."

"Thanks for inviting me to check his hand," Thompson added. "I was hoping I could do a follow up and see the finished result of the nanotech."

"Let's take a look, shall we?" Strange asked, standing and heading for Peter, as well. As far as he was concerned – and Tony and Pepper agreed with him – Dr. Thompson deserved a chance to see how the hand was healing. He'd put a lot of effort into Peter's recovery, after all. "Peter?"

The boy smiled, holding out the braced hand for whichever doctor wanted to do the honors. It was Thompson who stepped forward and carefully removed the brace, and then studied the boy's hand, tilting it every direction and making several approving noises each time he looked at it from a different angle. Stephen did the same when he was done, and Tony and Pepper watched as both doctors ran Peter through a series of range of motion tests – all of which he passed, easily.

"It looks amazing," Thompson said, shaking his head, smiling. He looked at Pepper. "It _really_ does. I'm not just saying that to keep you from worrying."

She smiled her relief.

"Any pain at all?" Thompson asked, Peter.

"Only when I've used it a bit, like doing the swimming for rehab, that kind of thing."

"You'll want to keep doing it," Thompson said. "I can't believe there isn't any scarring. I expected most of the flexibility to come back – you're young – but scars were inevitable, I thought. Well done."

The boy just shrugged; he really didn't have anything to do with that part of things, now did he?

"Thank you."

"So, your conclusion?" Strange asked.

"Keep doing whatever the physical therapist is having you do. I'd let that person make the final call on it, but I don't see any reason for him to continue to wear the brace, either."

Peter beamed, looking over at Pepper and Tony, pleased to see the relieved expressions on their faces.

"We'll keep it on him until this evening," Stephen said, tempering the boy's enthusiasm, and smiling when Peter scowled. "Just to give your physical therapist the final say."

"Sounds like a plan," Tony agreed.

Pepper nodded.

"You want that tour?" Tony asked Thompson, more than willing to do him the favor, after all the help he'd been with Peter's hand.

"Absolutely."

OOOOOOOO

The team was excited to see Peter when he showed up at the first practice of the year. Most of them crowded around him, greeting him and checking out his hand, asking him what he'd been doing and what he knew about what had happened with the light, and the aliens that had attacked the Avenger compound and China. They all knew that he'd know a lot more than what they would, after all.

Peter smiled, happy to be back with his friends – even if it was just going to be for the practices, for now – which would be a couple of times a week throughout the decathlon season. He admitted that he knew more than they did, but then gave them an apologetic look and told them that he was sworn to secrecy, and grinned when they groaned, dramatically.

There were a couple of teachers present, as well as Mr. Harrington and their principal, which was unusual enough that the practice wasn't too helpful, since the kids were all distracted. When four thirty came, and MJ and Harrington finally gave up on them getting anything done, the principal stepped forward, smiling at the kids.

"We've got some exciting news, kids," he said, watching them with a smug expression. "Thanks to our impressive win last season, this year we're getting the opportunity to add to our network of competitions by hosting an international competition. Fifteen teams will be competing over a one week span."

"Please tell me we're going somewhere…" Ned said, excitedly.

"We're _hosting_, dipshit," Flash said, contemptuously. "That means _we're_ not traveling, right Mr. Harrington?"

"Right and wrong," the principal said, scowling at Flash until the boy rolled his eyes in apology. Then he turned his attention back to the others. "We're hosting, but the competition won't be in our school, of course. We'll be having the competition in the city, at a location thus far not yet selected. It'll be fancy, though, so you can believe that it's going to be exciting – and I expect that we'll do we'll do well."

His tone made it clear that he meant it, too.

"We should have it at the Avenger's compound, Peter," Ned whispered, nudging his friend. "Wouldn't _that_ be cool?"

Peter smiled, but shook his head. He couldn't even imagine asking Tony and the others to do something like that. They'd gone all out when it was just his school team coming for a field trip. Having kids from fifteen different schools show up on their doorstep for a week? That would be nuts.

"That'd be impossible," he replied, trying to be quiet so they wouldn't disturb the excited murmuring of the others, who were already talking about how different the questions would be with different nations involved – and how tricky the whole thing could become. It was exciting. "We don't have that kind of space."

"Maybe a field trip?"

Peter shrugged.

"Maybe. No promises."

The principal smiled. He'd been listening.

"There's plenty of time to decide everything – and map out the schedule. For now, we just wanted to let you know so we can get you kids started on practice questions that are standard for the international competitions."

He left, as did the other adults, since the practice was over, but most of the kids stuck around talking about it, and wondering what kind of questions would be standard.

"Too bad we're hosting," Peter said, smiling at MJ when she came and sat with them.

"Probably couldn't drive your car to London," she pointed out.

"Not to mention we get into enough scraped here at home," Ned added. "Could you imagine what would probably happen if we were far from home?"

OOOOOO

_A/N: couldn't help myself, sorry! heh_


	176. Chapter 176

"Good evening, my name is Peter and I'll be your server…"

Natasha and Clint both smiled, amused – although Romanoff glanced over at the table where Tony and Pepper were sitting, automatically making sure the boy's parents were okay with him being a server, once more. The two were having a discussion with Nick, who looked pleased to give up dog-sitting duties now that Steve and the others had returned. Neither looked worried.

"Hello, Peter," Clint said, formally. "I'd like a cup of coffee to start."

Clint wasn't going to ask. He was just pleased to see the kid looking so cheerful and his sharp eyes hadn't missed the fact that the brace was gone from the boy's right hand. Peter wrote that down on his tablet and looked at Natasha, pointedly.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Mom and dad are okay with you doing this?"

Peter nodded; his brown eyes cheerful.

"The brace is off," he said, unnecessarily. "Back to finishing up my punishment so it isn't hanging over my head."

"Good. I'll have coffee, too, please."

He nodded again and left to go to the bar, stopping long enough to see if Tony, Pepper or Nick needed anything, and was waved away by Stark.

"We're sure he's alright?" Nick asked, watching the boy carry a tray with two cups of coffee over to Clint and Natasha, joking with them, happily, as they pretended to have difficulty trying to decide what they wanted for dinner. "They all agreed he doesn't need the brace, now?"

Stark nodded. He was watching Peter, too, but there wasn't any concern in his expression.

"The physical therapists signed off on it this evening when he and Pepper got home. Stephen and the other doctors said he was good to go this morning when they checked. If it aches, he's supposed to tell us so we can restrict him a bit."

"Which he _won't_," Pepper added. "So, we'll keep a close eye on him for the next few days."

"You're okay with him carrying things?"

"Best way to make sure it's really ready. Short of allowing him to start swinging around the city – and we're _not_ okay with him doing that, yet."

"We'd much rather he drops a tray," Pepper said with a smile, her eyes watching their son who was now walking back to the bar to give the cooks a dinner order.

"How much longer does he have to do that?"

"Another week," Tony replied. "I might give him time off for good behavior."

"And give him back his phone?"

"Nope. That stays where it is, for now."

"You're a cruel man, Tony," Fury said, smiling.

He had to admit that he liked the domestic side of the man. He hadn't asked to be Peter's guardian (although he definitely _had_ asked to be his father once the guardianship became a reality) but Stark was doing an amazing job with a kid that was so extraordinary. Of course, he had Pepper to help. And the _Avengers_, for that matter, his mind added as he watched Peter come back to joke with Clint and Natasha, again.

"He's being _punished_," Stark reminded him with a slight smile.

"Speaking of _field trips_…" Pepper said, turning her attention to Fury, now.

The single eye widened a little.

"_Were_ we?"

She smirked.

"We could be. Peter just informed us that his school is hosting an international academic competition next spring. It would be a rare treat to bring them to the compound for an afternoon – maybe to give them a tour."

"Not as informal as the one his team had, before," Tony added. "This would just be a walk through, maybe a snack and a greeting from a willing Avenger."

"Or two," Pepper said. "There's still plenty of time to make plans – and we haven't even been officially asked, yet."

"But they will," Nick replied.

"Absolutely. What better way to show off as a host, really? Take advantage of the fact that one of your team is connected to the Avengers and earn some serious points with the other teams."

"Let me know."

Nick wasn't too worried. There _was_ plenty of time to decide that – and maybe the group would decide that rather than Avengers, the kids might want to see Stark Tower, instead. It was the mecca for all things nerd, after all.

They both nodded at that, and all three looked at Peter, again – and now he was saying hello to Strange, who had just entered the lounge, although without his cloak to distract and maybe interfere with Peter's duties as helper.

"Anything new come up with the two leftover stones?" Nick asked, whether he'd planned to ask, or had been reminded by the arrival of the sorcerer supreme it didn't matter. "Have you decided what to do with the power stone?"

"Nothing, yet. I assume Stephen is here for dinner with Romanoff," Tony replied. "When they're done, though, and maybe if Peter's through serving by then, we'll sit down and talk about what – if anything - we can figure out."

"Make sure you let me know what you find out."

"We will."

The director got to his feet and walked toward the entrance, stopping just long enough to greet Strange and say goodbye to Peter.

"That went over better than I expected," Pepper said, watching the formidable man leave.

Stark smirked, leaning back in his chair and lifting his hand to snap his fingers for attention from their server – which made Peter roll his eyes, but turn their direction.

"It's for Peter," Tony reminded her. "He'll do anything for him. You know that."

"You needed something, sir?" Peter asked, amused, as he walked up.

"Pie, Pep?"

"Sounds good."

Tony turned to the boy.

"Pie. With ice cream. And more coffee."

"Are you _sure_ you want ice cream?" Peter asked, allowing his expression to be skeptical. "The nanotech in your suit only expands so far, after all."

Pepper snorted, amused, and tried to assume an innocent expression when Tony shot a glare her way. The billionaire scowled at his son.

"You know, you can be _replaced_… I mean it, I have the technology right at hand. I could build myself a scrawny little robot, glue a mop to the top of his head and ta-da, instant kid."

"You wouldn't do that," Peter told him, cheerfully. "Mom wouldn't _let_ you. Right _mommy_?"

God, how she loved to see him so cheerful – and _Tony_, as well, really. She smirked at her husband.

"No robot babies."

"Fine." He ignored Peter's triumphant smile. "But I still want ice cream."

"Of course, sir."

He left the table, and Tony took her hand, kissing it.

"He's a bit of a smart ass when he wants to be, isn't he?"

"He's learning that from _you_."

"Whaaaat?"

OOOOOOO

"How was the trip?"

"_Routine_," Natasha replied. "How were things here? Anything interesting?"

"We're working on the mystery of how to return the soul stone to its previous location without sending Peter back there with the space stone, or with the teleportation stone."

"What have you figured out?" Clint asked, frowning. "Obviously, neither of those are options we'd want to use."

"Correct. We've spent the day looking through the library at the sanctum," Stephen replied. "But while Wong did manage to find a name, we don't have an actual location, just yet."

"Peter was there, though," Natasha said. "Can't you figure out a way to get the location from his mind so you can make a portal?"

"That's our first choice," he agreed. "We just need to figure out how. I don't have a spell for it, and we haven't had any indication from the mind stone that it's willing to assist."

"How would you know?" Clint asked, curiously. "Would it tell you?"

"I'm assuming it'll send the image. That's what it does when it gets into Natasha's mind, correct?"

"Yes." She shrugged. "It usually happens when I'm sleeping, though. Not always, but for the most part. And always a vision, never any words."

"Then I'll pay attention to my dreams, tonight."

He started to say more, but Peter was heading their way, carrying a tray that had Clint and Natasha's dinner, and instead he changed the subject to ask the boy about his practice.

Time enough to worry about it, later. He had every intention of enjoying some peace and quiet with the Avengers, that evening – and one in particular.


	177. Chapter 177

_It was a dark, forbidding, world. There was a sun above, but it appeared to be in perpetual eclipse, as there was only the faintest ring of light coming from all around the edges, and nothing grew in that hostile environment for as far as he could see. There were jagged peaks that rose up and up and somehow he knew that the top of the one in front of him – the one with two pillars rising even higher from the surface – was where he needed to go._

_He looked around. There were no animals. No birds in the dark sky that he could see, nothing on the ground around him for as far as the eye could see. No noises but the sound of the faint breeze that was ruffling his hair and kicking up little whirls of dust and dirt in the distance. He felt an atavistic tremor run through him, and studied the peak that loomed in front of him._

"_Bring him, man of iron," a deep voice said, softly. "The stone must be returned, and the balance must be restored."_

Tony felt Pepper stir in the bed beside him, and he gathered her closer to him, breathing in the scent of her hair, even as he shivered, again.

"_Is it safe?"_

"_There is more danger on your world than on this one," came the reply. "The stone needs to be returned and only the boy can wield it."_

"_I could."_

"_It isn't your burden to bear."_

"_He's a boy."_

"_Yes. But a remarkable one. Bring him here, man of iron," came the command, again. "He need not come alone. But he must come, and he must return the stone to the sacrifice."_

"_Wait. What?"_

The dream faded, though, and Tony sat up with a start. To his surprise, Pepper sat up, as well, and when he looked at her, he somehow knew that she'd had the same unsettling dream that he'd had.

OOOOOOO

Peter roused when they joined him in his bed. One on either side, as was the norm with them.

"Hmmm?"

He opened his eyes and felt loving arms coming around him, the smell of the shampoo that Pepper preferred telling him, immediately, who it was. Sleepily, he rolled toward her embrace, the toddler inside him more than willing to cuddle, and the teen much more asleep than awake and compliant.

"Go to sleep, son," came a soft whisper from behind him, and he felt the blankets being brought back up over him as Tony made sure they were all covered before he, too, put an arm around Peter. "We'll talk in the morning."

"Did I sleepwalk?" he asked, groggy.

There was a soft chuckle, and the light was dimmed, once more.

"No. Sleep, sweetheart," Pepper crooned. "You're fine."

He did as he was told, content to be held and never happier than with the two of them.

OOOOOO

"So you both had the same dream?"

Tony shrugged.

"We weren't in it, together," he replied, looking at his wife for confirmation. "I didn't see her, there, but I had a dream, and she woke the same time and knew exactly what I'd dreamed about."

"Huh." Peter looked at the two of them. When he'd woken, they'd both already been awake. They'd once more assured him that he hadn't been sleepwalking, and then Tony had explained what had brought them to his bed in the middle of the night. "From the description, it sounds like the place I got the soul stone – and where I found Sirah."

"From what I was told, I'd say it's a good guess."

"What do we do about it?"

"We get dressed and have some breakfast," Tony told them both. "It doesn't change anything, really. II already intended t go with you when you return the soul stone. This just tells me that they expect me. That's all to the good, really, since it means I won't be battling my way through whatever barriers that might be put up."

"_We_ won't," Pepper corrected, brushing her fingers along Peter's cheek before she stood up. "I'm going with you and Stephen when you take Peter back."

Tony opened his mouth, and closed it with a shrug. Of course she was. She had the Rescue suit, now, and even without Vision acting as AI, Friday could handle her systems as well as his own. Eventually, he'd have to get her an AI of her own, now, but since they weren't going to be in battle – as far as he knew – there wasn't any reason Friday couldn't keep both of them safe.

"We still need to figure out how to get there," he reminded her. "But yes, I think that's a good idea."

Before they could say anything else, the Cloak of Levitation came soaring into the room, wrapping itself cheerfully around Peter, and silently heralding the arrival of Stephen Strange, who – despite the early hour – was perfectly dressed in his tailored suit and looking as if he'd been awake for hours. He looked surprised to see Tony and Pepper in the boy's room – obviously still in their pajamas – and glanced at Peter, as if to make sure he didn't look upset or injured.

"Did you sleepwalk, last night?"

"They came to my bed," Peter replied, smiling. "I'm not the spaz, this time."

"Did you just call mom a spaz?" Tony asked.

"What? No."

Strange smirked. Obviously, whatever had them in Peter's room wasn't serious. Or so he thought – until Tony told him what had happened. Then he frowned.

"That's interesting," he said. "I had a dream last night, too. One that didn't feature either of you, but definitely showed me the place you just described."

"It's called Vormir," Peter said, reaching for Nutmeg once the cloak had settled a little. He looked at Strange, expression a little uncertain – not surprising, really. "You saw it?"

"Yes."

"Well enough that you could go there?"

Tony and Pepper both looked at Stephen, as well. The sorcerer supreme nodded.

"Yes. I saw it as plainly as if I'd been standing at the base of that peak. There's even a trail, isn't there?"

Peter nodded.

"It's steep in some places, but it's an easy climb"

"We can go there?" Pepper repeated.

Strange didn't even hesitate at the insinuation that she intended to accompany them. He simply nodded.

"Yes. I'm certain I can portal us in, based on what I saw."

"Then we'd better get dressed," she said, looking down at herself and then at Peter. "You're officially excused from school, today."

The boy nodded. He looked uneasy, but resolute. Tony understood the hesitation.

"We could wait," he offered. "If you want. We can try to find a place to stash the power stone so you don't need to hold them both."

"No. It's okay. Two stones aren't going to be that much worse than one is. I'm just nervous."

He'd just gotten the brace off, after all. He didn't want to hurt the hand, again.

"Get dressed," Tony suggested. He looked at Strange. "Are you going to bring the time stone?"

"Yes. If you're ready, then I'll go advise Wong what we're doing and meet you in your workroom in an hour."

Which would give them time to alert those who needed to know, and get themselves ready.

The cloak grumbled in Peter's mind, not happy about releasing him so soon after their arrival, but it soared back to Stephen's collar, and the sorcerer vanished a moment later.

Stark looked at Pepper.

"Let's go change. I think breakfast should probably wait, though…"

She definitely agreed, looking at Peter to see if he was alright with that. He shrugged.

"I'm not hungry."

He was too nervous to eat, really.

"Get changed, son," Tony told him. "I'll meet you in our quarters so we can get your stones out of the safe while mom gets her Rescue suit on."

"Someone should tell Natasha what we're doing."

"She probably already knows," Stark replied. Romanoff had a connection with the mind stone, too, after all, and it was probably telling her what was going on. "But Nick and the others need to be told, too."

They left, and Peter went to his dresser for some clean clothes.

"_You'll be fine,"_ Alec assured him. _"You're healthy and the stones will dim their reaction to you, like they did before."_

He just nodded.

He hoped so.


	178. Chapter 178

"You had this dream, too?"

"Not the same one that Tony and Pepper shared," Stephen told Natasha as they walked through the corridors and toward the workroom. "But one that showed me the planet well enough to portal there."

"So you're just going to go?"

He was dressed in robes, now, with the full regalia of the sorcerer supreme – including the time stone hanging from his neck in its protective magical housing. The Cloak of levitation was hanging from his collar, although it would occasionally reach out and touch her cheek, as if to say hello.

"A portal is safer than a jump. We'll be able to take a look at where we're going before we commit to actually _going_ there. I don't foresee any trouble, really. Peter didn't mention going through an army to get the stone, I don't imagine we'll have to fight one to return it."

"But you'll be careful…" she said, as they entered the main room that led to one of Tony's workrooms. This one being the larger of the two that he preferred to use – and right off of the quarters that he shared with Pepper. "Right?"

"Of course."

Tony and Pepper were waiting, although Peter wasn't anywhere in sight. The Rescue suit gleamed silver and blue, and looked as amazing as they remembered it being. Tony's suit wasn't activated; he was wearing simple jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

"Where's Peter?" Romanoff asked.

"He went to see if Nick would kitten sit for him."

"We're not worried about this injuring his hand?" she asked, since the boy wasn't there to hear her concern. "I mean, he just got the brace off."

"He should be fine," Tony said. He was actually holding the polymorph in his hand, but couldn't feel anything coming from it – whereas Peter had mentioned being able to feel both stones the minute Tony had removed the thing from his safe. They hadn't been overwhelming, though, he'd assured him. "I told him if it gets to be too much, we'll call it, have Stephen yank us out of there and try again a different day."

"You're not too worried, though?" _She_ looked worried. "I could go. I know Steve and Carol both want to – and Clint."

"We're not worried about Peter's health," Pepper said, looking toward the door, as if to make sure the boy wasn't there. "He seems to be pretty confident that he'll be able to handle them – and he's done it, before, so he knows how much he can take before he really hurts himself."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"The voice in my dream said that the stone has to be returned to the _sacrifice_," Tony said.

Stephen hadn't heard that part – presumably because Peter had been in the room at the time.

"Peter told us _May_ was the sacrifice," he pointed out – unnecessarily. "You think we'll see her? Like he said he did, before?"

"I think it's a possibility," Tony answered. "And I want us to be there for him, but I don't want to make it any harder for him than it already would be."

"Should I come?" Natasha asked.

She hadn't _planned_ on it, simply because if _she_ went, she knew Steve and Clint would insist – and so would Carol, and several others. It would turn the journey into a full on invasion – and they weren't completely sure if their destination had any defenders or not. Which was why they were wearing armor, after all.

"No. I want you to be here when he comes back – in case he needs someone other than us to talk to. If you don't mind?"

"Of course not."

She'd be hovering, anyway, while they were gone.

Before Tony could say anything, Peter walked into the room. He smiled when he saw Natasha, not at all surprised that she was there.

"Hey, baby. Did Nick take Nutmeg? Or do I need to go track him down while you're gone?"

"He took him. You're not coming?"

She shook her head, pleased by the implied assumption. She'd do anything for him and he knew it.

"I'm going to stick around here," she told him. "Just to make sure Nick doesn't sell the place while you guys are gone."

That made them all smile.

"Are we ready?" Stephen asked, before Peter could have a chance to get nervous.

"Sure you know where you're going?" Natasha asked, watching as Peter pulled the polymorph out of his pocket and then activated his vibranium suit. "I don't want them to end up in Vegas without me."

"I'm not old enough for Vegas," Peter said, smiling. Her cheerful manner was keeping him from panicking, and he appreciated it. "But I hear some of those shows are pretty interesting. Ned said he saw one on a live feed one time from Vegas, and that it was a lot of nak-"

"Shouldn't we be going?" Pepper interrupted, pointedly.

Her expression was exasperated but her eyes were amused, and Peter wasn't the only one to smile – although he blushed, slightly.

"Yeah. Sorry."

He stepped away from all of them, automatically, as he focused on the polymorph in his hand. A moment later the metal spread along his right hand and forearm, forming the gauntlet that had been there, before, and then emitting the two remaining stones, which settled smoothly into place on the back of his hand. Peter groaned, softly, and winced as the power of the stones came to bear, but he held up his left hand when Tony started to step forward.

"I'm okay. It's not too bad."

He activated the mask of his suit, though, and Tony was suddenly engulfed in his Ironman suit, as well. Everyone turned to Strange, who gave Romanoff a smile, and then waved his hand in a circle, creating and activating the portal. The other side was dim and desolate, and Romanoff frowned.

"Stay out of trouble."

The sorcerer nodded.

"We'll bring you back an ugly t-shirt."

She smirked, and stepped back as Tony led the way through the portal, followed by Pepper and Peter, and then Strange. An instant later, the thing vanished, leaving her alone in the room.

OOOOOO

The place was exactly like Peter remembered. Dark and scary and definitely foreboding. Not quite as terrible this time, though. He wasn't hurting as badly as he'd been the first time, and he wasn't _alone_. The boy was very much aware of the three adults standing near him as they all looked at the peak of the mountain above them.

"To the top, I suppose?" Tony asked, disengaging his mask when nothing attacked them and the readouts on his HUD advised the atmosphere was safe.

"Yeah." He pointed. "See the two pillars? The space stone landed me up there, so I don't know how long it'll take to walk…"

Strange smirked.

"I'm not here to hike, guys."

The cloak flared and the sorcerer rose into the air, which made Tony engage his mask, once more. A burst of his rockets and he was hovering overhead, as well.

"Hook up, Peter," he ordered, and the boy shot a blast of webbing at him, catching the Ironman suit's hip.

Pepper waited until Tony had pulled him off his feet and then she went to the air, as well, and was followed at a sedate pace by Strange. What would have probably taken hours only took a few minutes and they all landed on the level surface of the top of the mountain, near the twin pillars.

"Now what?" Tony asked, looking around. There wasn't a challenge to their presence, but neither was there any indication of what to do, next. "Is there a magic word? Do we have Peter stand between the two pillars and hold up the stone, or something?"

There was a flare of bright light, almost as if in response to the question. The masks the three were wearing kept them from being blinded, but even though Strange was the only one to actually bring a hand up to block the light, none of them saw the form arrive that was suddenly standing in front of them. A woman that they all recognized, immediately, and one who smiled, lovingly, at the boy they were standing so protectively around.

"No magic words," May said, amused. "He just hands it over to me."

Peter was shocked, but he noticed that he was the only one who was. He stepped forward, automatically, and the mask of his suit disengaged as he did, but he hesitated, uncertain if she was real, or just a high quality hologram.

"May…"

She held her arms out to him and he stepped into her embrace, feeling her very real arms coming around him as she held him, tightly. He didn't cry like he had the last time. This time he was able to simply savor the fact that she was there, holding him.

"Hi, sweetheart," she crooned in his ear, hugging him, tightly. "I'm so proud of you."

"I didn't do anything that special," he told her, his head buried in her neck, and now he _did_ sniff, a little. "And I killed a lot of people."

"You didn't kill any of them," she corrected, kissing his temple, and looking over at the others. "The power stone and the mind stone were the ones who decided who was vaporized and who wasn't. You saved half the universe from a madman – and probably more than that since the ones who would have survived may have gone crazy, as well."

He sniffed, again.

"I wasn't trying to save the universe," he admitted. "I just didn't want my friends to be hurt."

"I know, Peter." She pulled away, and looked at him, smiling when she realized that he'd managed to grow an inch or two. "But you _did_ save the universe, and it owes you."

"I don't need anything," Peter replied, wondering if he and the others were going to have to deal with some kind of crazy cosmic edition of _how can the universe repay you_? Did the universe have honor that would need to be upheld? "Tony and Pepper take good care of me, and give me everything I need or want."

May smiled, and nodded, but then she shrugged and gave him a look that he couldn't quite interpret.

"Maybe there's something that you need, and you don't even _know_ it?" she suggested.

"Like what?"

She smirked, and glanced over her shoulder, looking behind her. As she did – and as they all looked that direction – there was another flare of light. This time two forms appeared, and Peter wasn't the only one to stare. They all recognized them, but it was Peter who spoke, first, his eyes wide and his voice uncertain.

"Mom…? Dad…?"


	179. Chapter 179

The mountain top was silent as the boy stared at the two newcomers. He then turned, uncertainly, to May, who smiled, reassuringly.

"It's okay. Go say hello."

Peter turned back to them, stepping forward, almost shyly. He knew who they were, of course, but he hadn't actually seen them since he was very small, and his memories of them were fleeting, for the most part. He watched them as he walked over to them. They watched him in silence, but they were studying him, intently, having just as little time with him as he'd had with them, after all.

The boy stopped in front of them, just out of reach.

"Hi…" he said, studying their faces. They looked exactly like they had in the videos that they'd made for him. His father's beard and his mother's pretty eyes. "I'm… I'm Peter…"

The woman smiled, and stepped forward, first.

"Of _course_ you are," she said, reaching out and touching his chin. "Look how big you are…" she turned to the man. "He looks just like your father, doesn't he?"

Richard Parker's eyes filled with tears as he nodded and stepped up, as well.

"He's beautiful."

The man gathered Peter into his arms with a sob, and the boy automatically reached up to touch the beard. Mary Parker put her arms around both of them, and they held him tight for a long moment.

May Parker watched the reunion, but then turned and walked over to Pepper, Stephen and Tony – who was watching Peter, but looked afraid more than anything. She understood his concern, immediately, and smiled, reaching out to touch his ironclad arm.

"Don't freak out, Tony," she said, softly. "It's not permanent. He's still yours."

"They're really _here_, though?" Stephen asked, just as softly, as if afraid to interrupt the embrace he was watching. "What I mean, is; they're _real_?"

"Yes." She nodded. "It's unheard of to allow this – and will _never_ happen, again – but the universe _does_ owe him one, and more than anything, he needs closure. They left him so suddenly, and so young… He's so uncertain about them, and doesn't know them well enough to understand that they love him so much they're glad he's found new parents to love him now that they can't be there for him."

Pepper sniffed, wiping her eyes with her own steel-clad hand, and then giving a weak chuckle at the way the metal was simply smeared. Stephen noticed, of course, and a tissue appeared in his hand, which he gave her with a soft smile.

"And _you're_ really here, too?" Tony asked, looking amazed – and relieved.

"Yep." May hugged him, then, Ironman suit and all. "Thank you so much for taking such good care of him."

She released Tony and turned and hugged Pepper, as well.

"We love him," she told May, who could only smile, again, as she let her go.

"It shows." She turned to Strange. "Hi, Stephen."

"Hey, May…" he hugged her before she could reach for him. "You look good."

That earned him a chuckle.

"_Everyone_ looks good, here. It's one of the perks"

They fell silent, then, as they watched Peter step back just enough to look at his parents.

"How…? I mean… you're _here_? This is where I can find you?"

Richard shook his head.

"You can't come find us, here, son. We're only here for a minute. To have a chance to see you. To meet you."

"And to tell you how proud we are of you," Mary added, smiling as she touched his cheek, again. "You're so amazing. I knew you'd grow up to be special."

Peter blushed at the praise.

"I could come back, though," he said to them. "I have a rock that will teleport me _anywhere_ I just tell it where I want to go and-"

"_Peter_," his father interrupted. "It's dangerous to use it – and not at all necessary. You know where to find us when you need to talk to us. We've listened to your stories; heard all about what's going on in your life. Heard about Nutmeg, and Ironpig, even… Don't you even _think_ about doing something so foolish."

The boy looked startled, but he nodded.

"Oh… yeah. I'm sorry."

The elder Parker pulled him into his arms, again, and hugged him close, and now Peter's arms went around him, too.

"Don't be sorry. Just don't be _dumb_. You're too smart to be dumb. Right, Mary?"

Peter's mother smiled, hugging him, again, and couldn't seem to help but touch his face, once more.

"Don't listen to him, Peter," she said. "He's done a lot of dumb things, too. Things that would fill a book. But he's right about not using that stone to come looking for us. We won't be here, and you'll be alone…"

Peter nodded, again.

"I won't."

"We can't stay long, son," Richard told him, pulling back. "I want to talk to Tony and Pepper before we have to go, though. Would you introduce us?"

"Yeah." He turned toward his adoptive parents, and saw them all watching him and his biological ones. Peter smiled, thinking that he was the luckiest person in the world, just then. In _any_ worlds, really. He walked over, with them following. "Tony? Pepper?" he smiled; his expression awestruck as he added to the introduction. "Mom? Dad?" Which made Tony and Pepper both smile, too. "These are my folks, Richard and Mary."

May stepped up, and reached for Peter's hand – the one wearing the gauntlet.

"Let's give them a chance to talk," she said, completely unaffected by the power of the stones, even when the soul stone brightened just a little at her presence. "Stephen?"

"Yes, of course."

Strange and May walked with Peter a short distance away, and Tony found himself watching – just to make sure the boy didn't stray too far.

"May chose well," Mary said, smiling at the automatic protectiveness displayed by the other man. "You're so good with him."

"I love him," Tony said, echoing Pepper's comment from earlier.

"It shows."

Stephen turned his attention to May, affording the others as much privacy as he could. It was a very private moment, really, despite the fact that the two couples had never met.

"What happens, next?" he asked her.

"When Peter gives me the stone, you guys all go home."

"Where do _you_ go?" the boy asked. "Does it hurt?"

"No. It's called the soul world," she replied. "And it's a pretty amazing place."

"Like heaven, then?"

"Not quite." She smiled at her nephew, and couldn't help but run her fingers through his hair. "It's too complicated to explain, and I wouldn't do it right, anyway. But I guess it _could_ be an interpretation of heaven."

"Depending on your beliefs," Strange hazarded.

"Yes."

Before she could say anything else, they were joined by the others, and Peter found himself engulfed in another hug from Mary and Richard. His mother kissed him, looking at him, intently.

"We love you."

The boy's smile was filled with awe.

"I love you, too."

"Give May the stone," Richard told Peter, touching his son's cheek, once more.

"But then you'll leave…"

May hugged him, close, before any of the others could.

"None of us are ever _really_ gone, sweetheart. You know where to find them – and _me_ – if you need to talk.

He sniffed, holding her close for a long minute, while the adults around him watched. She was the one who was closest to him, after all. May crooned softly, reassuring him that it was really alright, and didn't release him until he let her go and stepped back. His eyes were red, but there was no agony in his expression.

Only an echo of the love of the people around him.

She held her hand out, and Peter plucked the soul stone from the polymorph gauntlet with his left hand, and gave it to her. A moment later there was a flare of incandescent light, and when it dimmed, the Parkers were all gone – save Peter, who was standing alone, his hand still raised.

Tony stepped up to his side, immediately, a hand going to the boy's shoulder.

"That was incredible…" Peter said, softly.

"Yes, it was…" He was watching Peter's expression, carefully, but couldn't see any indication that he wasn't anything but amazed. And even in the dim light of the planet's wan sun, the three adults could see a peace in those expressive brown eyes that hadn't been there, before. "Let's go home, okay?"

"Yeah."

They turned to Stephen, who didn't even roll his eyes. He _did_, however, concentrate for just a moment. A giftbag appeared in his hand and he gave it to Peter, before he turned to a clear space and began to wave his hand.

"I'll give you a hundred dollar bill if you hand that to Natasha when we get back and tell her that there was a souvenir stand at the top of this mountain."

Peter laughed, outright, at that, and nodded. He felt good, despite the gloom of the planet, and the ache in his hand.

"I'd do it for free," he admitted. "But I'll take the money."

Maybe he could take them out for ice cream, or something.


	180. Chapter 180

"That's incredible…" Natasha said, looking at Strange with a mixture of amazement and awe. He was the only one in the workroom with her, just then, since Pepper had gone to take off the Rescue suit, and Tony and Peter had left to take the remaining stone – now safely back inside the polymorph sphere – back to the safe. They were all meeting back in the workroom, so Stephen had simply seated himself on the edge of the bog table and had told Romanoff what she'd missed. After Peter had given her the bag of souvenirs which included an ugly shirt with the inscription '_my friends went to Vormir and all I got was this t-shirt_' and a shot glass with a fair representation of the peak on it. "They were really there? Not just ghosts, or something?"

"We all saw them. I _hugged_ May – and Peter touched them _all_, of course. They were definitely real. From what May said, it's a one time only thing, and only because the universe was paying him back for what he'd done."

"Amazing…" The boy hadn't looked upset when he'd handed her the giftbag. But she knew that he brooded, so she'd keep an eye on him the next few days, for sure. "What were they like?"

"His parents?"

"Yes. Did they look the same as they did in the video?"

"Yes. They were like two people meeting their son for the first time, really." The sorcerer paused, thinking about it. "You know, it might be that the universe was paying _them_ back, as well, for taking them from him so early. Or rewarding them for producing him in the first place. Who knows?"

"You'll tell Wong?"

"Yes. Peter won't mind."

"It'll be interesting to hear his take on it."

"True." He shrugged. "I'm going to wait until I have a chance to look at his hand, though. He wasn't complaining, but…"

"But he wouldn't."

"Precisely."

OOOOOOOO

They weren't the only ones worrying about Peter. Or his hand.

Tony watched as the polymorph slowly transformed itself into a sphere, once more, taking the power stone with it and engulfing it. Shielding the energy until the boy couldn't feel it. Then Peter disengaged his suit, as well, handing the sphere to Stark, and sitting down on the arm of the sofa in their main living area, holding his hand, gingerly.

"Hurts?"

"Yeah. A little."

Tony walked over and took it, frowning at the soft noise that Peter made – even though he was being gentle. He didn't see any blood or redness, so it had to all be on the inside.

"I don't want you doing anything crazy, today, all right? No serving, either."

"It's not too bad."

"Better safe than sorry." He brushed his hand along the top of Peter's head, studying the boy. "How do you feel?"

"My hand? Or in general?"

"In general."

"I'm okay. Really." Peter shrugged. "I feel like maybe I should be sad, seeing them and then knowing I don't get to see them, again. But I'm not. It was amazing. I mean, I know that they love me – I saw the video and you can't fake that – but I don't really remember any of that, you know? And I guess I wondered what they'd think of me. I'm not normal, after all. I just wondered how they would see me."

Tony smiled.

"And now?"

"They're proud of me." And now he did look a little teary-eyed at the memory. "And they know everything about me and they still love me."

"Yeah, they do." Tony hugged him. "We love you, too."

Peter sniffed and put his arms around the man he called dad.

"Thanks for coming with me. It was scary – at least, at first."

"I know. You're welcome."

They were quiet for a long moment, but Peter finally pulled away and looked up at him.

"What did you talk about?" He asked. "You and Pepper, I mean? When mom and dad wanted to talk to you?"

"Your car."

"They know about that?"

"Apparently." Tony smiled. "He asked if it was repairable."

"Oh." There was a little relief, knowing that the damage done to the car that his dad had loved so much wasn't beyond fixing and a great deal of thankfulness that Tony was so willing to help rectify a mistake that Peter had made and Tony hadn't. He looked up at him, cradling the sore hand, again. "Thank you. For everything."

The billionaire just shook his head.

"You're welcome, son." He tapped his shoulder, mindful that it wasn't the right one – to avoid the action jarring that hand. "Why don't we go check in with everyone, get Stephen to check the hand and see if mom needs us for anything, today?"

"And if she doesn't?"

Pepper wasn't going to work, and Peter had already been excused from his schooling – for the day, at least.

"Then we'll eat and work on the car."

"Sounds good."

OOOOOOOO

Pepper was just returning from the other workroom when Peter and Tony entered from their own errand. She brushed her hand along Peter's shoulder, but was clearly more worried about the hand, which was still being held against his stomach, gingerly – obviously aching.

"Has Stephen seen it, yet?"

"We just got here," Tony said, entering the room and walking with his little family over to the table where Natasha was sitting with Strange.

Romanoff smiled at Peter, glancing at his hand.

"Five down and one to go…"

He nodded, sitting down beside her, which put him across from Strange, who held his hand out. Peter offered up his hand, and all of them watched as Stephen asked him questions, watched his reactions to how he manipulated the fingers and the wrist, and made a disapproving noise at the response. A familiar looking brace appeared on the table, and Peter frowned as the surgeon applied it.

"It doesn't hurt that _bad_…"

"Who's the doctor?"

The frown turned into a chagrined look.

"I'm going to become a doctor so I can say that to people…"

"That's why I did it."

Natasha smiled.

"What are his restrictions, Stephen?" she asked before Tony or Pepper could.

"I want you to eat," Strange told Peter – and looked at Pepper and Tony as well, to make sure they were listening. That was more of a habit, than anything, because they were always listening when it came to Peter. "Then I want to you to get some rest. After that, if the pain isn't worse, you're free to do anything that doesn't require you to use that hand, too much. No serving for the rest of the week."

The boy rolled his eyes, exasperated.

"I'm never going to get two weeks' worth of that done at this rate."

Pepper smiled. Teens weren't supposed to want to do their punishments, but he probably just didn't like it hanging over his head. She could understand that.

"We'll figure it out." She looked at Strange. "How long do we keep the brace on?"

"A couple of days – just to baby it. The wrist, not the boy," he added, winking at Peter. "He can do school, tomorrow, probably – unless he wakes up not feeling well. If he does, call me."

"You're not going to be around?" Tony asked.

"No. I definitely have some things to do at the sanctum – and a long conversation or two to have with Wong."

Which meant that he wanted to let the other sorcerer know what he'd seen, and they definitely had information to add to the knowledge of the library, since now they knew how the soul stone was returned. And where it was returned, to, as well.

"Thanks for coming with us," Peter said. "And making it easier than using the teleporting stone."

"Which you will _not_ use to try to go back there…" Strange added.

"Yeah. No. I won't."

He'd made that promise, already.

"Come on," Tony said, pulling Peter to his feet, cheerfully. "Let's go have breakfast and tell the others what happened. Maybe we can figure out what hole in the ground we can put the power stone in so we get these things out of our hair, hey?"

"Yeah."


	181. Chapter 181

Stephen didn't join them in the lounge for their late breakfast, although Natasha did. The sorcerer said goodbye and left with his cloak, while Natasha was more than willing to sit with them, even though she'd already had breakfast, much earlier. Nick was in the lounge with Nutmeg and Ironpig, both, and looked pleased to be able to hand off the animals to their respective people before he sat down at the corner table with them. Steve joined them with Carol – as did Clint – and Tony, Pepper and Peter ate while telling them what had happened.

They needed to know about the stone being gone, of course, and even though they glossed over the details of the full conversations between May, Mary and Richard. Not because it wasn't something that they would be interested in – and Peter wouldn't have minded them knowing – but it would make for a much longer tale than they all really had time to tell.

"Just the one left, then?" Clint asked, looking relieved that they'd had their excursion and there hadn't been any drama – or even danger, from the sound of it. "What do we do with the last one?"

"Toss it into the sun?" Steve suggested.

"That much power?" Carol said, shaking her head. "It'd destroy the sun – and leave the stone intact, I imagine. I'd assume the only thing that could destroy an infinity stone would be another infinity stone."

"And the power stone is probably the only one that couldn't be used. You can't time stone the soul stone to destruction. Or reality stone the power stone." Tony shrugged, but he didn't look too concerned, just yet, they could tell. "We'll figure it out."

The others drifted off to take care of their responsibilities, while Peter sat at the table, relaxing with Pepper and Tony once they'd finished eating. Stark turned to his wife.

"What are you planning on doing, today? Working?"

"I have a couple of conferences I can make, since everything is stable here. You won't mind?"

"No. Of course not. I'm going to work on manufacturing the rest of the fender for Peter's car, and he's going to go take a nap like Stephen said."

Peter looked like he wanted to protest, but he knew it wouldn't do him any good to do so. He did frown, though.

"For how long?"

"Until you sleep," Tony replied with a shrug. "He's right; you probably feel pretty good, but your hand hurting is going to take something out of you. Rest up this afternoon and see if that makes it heal up, quicker."

"But I wanted to take everyone out," Peter said, pulling his hundred dollar bill out of his pocket – with his left hand. "We could do Dairy Queen, or something."

"We'll do it after dinner," Pepper promised. "Go get some rest."

"Alright." He hesitated, though, looking at them; first Tony, and then Pepper. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Don't forget your cat," Tony said, smiling. "I don't want him picking on Ironpig this afternoon."

Peter plucked his kitten from the cat tree and left the lounge, and Pepper turned to her husband.

"How much do you have left to manufacture on the Pontiac?"

"Finishing the fender, today. The lights will come in, hopefully today, and the bumper should be here, tomorrow. Natasha and Clint are going to fly to Detroit for the grill."

"Is _Peter_ going to be invited to go with Natasha and Clint?"

"Probably not. If _he_ goes, they turn it into a day trip so he can do some sight-seeing. If they go alone, it'll be there and back in a few hours. We get the grill, and everything will be ready. Barring any distractions, we should be ready to put the parts together this weekend, and test drive it Sunday – or to the tower Monday."

As if in response, there was a chime from his phone. He pulled it, smiling and looking at Pepper.

"The King of Wakanda is calling. I wonder if he's finally murdered his sister and wants help hiding the body…"

She rolled her eyes, amused.

"Answer it."

Tony did as he was told.

"T'Challa. How fares your country – and your sister and mother?"

With the display he had, Tony and Pepper could both see him – even though T'Challa could only see Tony with the angle that he had.

_"Everything is well, here, Tony,_" came the reply. _"Yourself? Pepper?"_

"We're doing pretty good. Thanks."

_"And Peter? How is he?"_

"Taking a nap, right now," Tony said. "But he's doing much better."

_"That is good to hear."_ The young king straightened himself, slightly._ "I am formally inviting you to my country for a celebration in Peter's honor."_

There was a slight pause.

"Why do I get the feeling it isn't to celebrate Peter getting Shuri to stay in her bed and drink her medicine?" Stark asked.

_"Because it is not. My people know what Peter has done for them, and for the planet. With my country as isolated as it is, there is no concern that the information would leak, and it was much easier for me to explain it with the truth than to prevaricate."_

Pepper smiled at the look on Tony's face, but it wasn't really that much of a surprise. They'd known that T'Challa had shared the information with his advisors, and the nobles of his country, and he was right when he said that the Wakandans knowing what Peter had done really wasn't going to make much of a concern about the rest of the world finding out.

"So you're going to have a celebration?" she asked, moving around the table so she could sit beside Tony and look at T'Challa, as well. Her hand went to rest on her husband's leg, mainly to keep him from saying anything that didn't start with 'what an honor'. "What will it entail? And when will it be?"

_"Such an event does take planning,_" the young king conceded. "_Shuri tells me that Peter is now back in school and weekends are most convenient to work around both his schedule and your own, Pepper. Two weeks from this next Saturday would give us ample time to finish our preparations. What do you think?"_

"I think that we'd love to come. And so will Peter, of course."

T'Challa smiled.

_"I will make the arrangements. Perhaps an overnight excursion?"_

"Sounds lovely."

"Is this celebration thing a potluck?" Tony asked, speaking up now that the decision to go to the celebration was settled. Pepper was much better at making those plans than he was, he'd known to keep quiet and let her handle it." "Do we bring anything?"

_"Just whoever wants to come – and Peter, of course."_

"Of course. Everything going alright there?"

_"All is well, Tony. Your Sirah is a success at the orphanage – you might pass that on to Peter."_

"We will."

_"I must go."_ T'Challa bowed, slightly, to Pepper. _"It was good to see you both."_

"Yeah. You, too."

The call ended and Stark sighed.

"I was hoping to get him settled."

"Going to Wakanda isn't going to hurt him, Tony. It'll be fun – and he _should_ have a chance to be honored for what he did. He saved the universe, after all. Since the Wakandans are the only ones who know it, I think it's nice they want to celebrate it."

"Yeah. So do I," he said, somewhat begrudgingly. "But he's _not_ going to be brining home anything exotic – like a panther, or something. I don't care who offers it to him. Make sure T'Challa knows that."

She smiled.

"I'll take care of it."

"Good." He leaned over and kissed her, smiling, too. "You're going to work?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm going to see if I can get the fender finished before Peter wakes up and comes looking for me. If the lights come in, I'll have him help me install them, today."

"Be careful of his hand."

"We will." They both stood, and headed for the exit. He kissed her, again. "See you at dinner, Mrs. Stark?"

"Yes." Pepper squeezed his hand. "Don't forget; we're going out for ice cream, after."

"Kid always wants ice cream…"

"Fun, isn't it?"


	182. Chapter 182

Peter was somewhat annoyed to find that he was, in fact, wiped out by the time he made it to his rooms. He could practically hear Stephen's easy drawl telling him that he was using a lot of energy to heal and his body needed to replenish its stamina, and that was annoying, too. The guy was _always_ right.

"_He's been around longer than you have,"_ Alex reminded him. _"And he's a doctor."_

"Stop being reasonable," Peter said, as he sprawled on his bed, carefully tucking his hand against his stomach, and making sure Nutmeg was comfortably settled on a pillow. "I want to be grumpy about it."

He couldn't, though. Not after the morning that he'd had. Not after spending time with his mom and dad, and actually holding them, and being held by them. He wanted to tell Ned and MJ – or Shuri, but knew that he'd never be able to. Not only would it be crazy, but they'd never believe him – or maybe they would, and that would be crazy, too.

There was a silent response that was amused.

"_Go to sleep, Peter."_

He closed his eyes and did as he was told.

OOOOOOOO

He dreamed of the planets. A soothing, calm dream that was intended to keep him asleep. A lazy spinning opaque sphere interacting with other planets, all moving in the same orbits and paths that they had been spinning in for years. He was used to the dream, by then, recognizing it as coming from the mind stone.

As he slept, he remembered the events of the day. The memories were clear, and he could feel his mother's arms around him. Could feel Pepper's embrace, as well, and the love that he received both from his biological father and from Tony. The boy was bathed in that love in the dream. Was literally immersed in the warmth of their affection and the promise that it would always be there for him. Peter sighed, happily, even in his sleep. They were proud of him, and they loved him.

He didn't need any further assurance.

Another presence was there, though. Just as careful not to hurt him, and willing to allow him his rest, but there was an underlying concern, too. Peter recognized all of the stones, now. He knew how each felt when they were close to him. The mind stone, obviously, since it was really the most intimate with him, having the ability to be in his head like it was, and had been for so long, now.

The power stone, however, was definitely making itself felt. Even while he slept, he felt it. Not in pictures like the mind stone, but he felt the very power of the infinity stone on the edge of his awareness, as if it was reminding him not to forget about it. Which was fine, because Peter was well aware that he couldn't keep it in the polymorph any longer than necessary, but he was open to suggestions as to where to stash it, since the previous possessors were no longer able to muster enough population to defend it should someone come seeking to control it.

There was the oddest sensation of a multiple participation conversation going on, then. He felt the mind stone. Felt Vision, who was always connected to the mind stone, felt the power stone and even felt Alec. While Peter slept, the underlying conversation continued, and several places flashed through his thoughts – all but one were places that were alien and on planets that he'd never seen or heard of.

The other place was right there on earth. In a place that Peter was beginning to know well. He frowned.

"_That would put three of the stones on one planet,"_ he pointed out, talking to the mind stone, or the power stone – or maybe to Alec. _"We can't risk that."_

_"Three would be a disaster,_" Alec agreed, keeping his voice light, and his tone even so as to keep his young friend asleep and in a position to be able to focus purely on the conversation and allowing the stones to have an active participation. _"Except if they were on a world where they could be gathered, immediately, if needed – and by someone who could use them all to defend them from being abused, and the world they were hosted on from being destroyed by the one attempting to abuse them."_

_"Me."_

_"Of course, you. If someone decides that Thanos had the right of it, and somehow found out there were three infinity stones on Earth and came looking for them, you would know, immediately. The mind stone would know the thoughts of the person coming, just as it had Thanos', and would alert you. Either directly, or through its association with Vision – or his association with Wanda. Once you were aware of the danger, you could act. You wouldn't even need to gather the stones, really,"_ the ancient sorcerer added. _"With the talents of the people you're surrounded by, you could make a stand before it even became necessary. Or, if you were inclined, you could dig up the power stone and take care of the aggressor yourself. With a single thought."_

Peter hesitated, despite the argument that Alec was making.

_"I don't know. It isn't fair to them to put them in danger…"_

_"No people on your planet would be a better choice,"_ Alec pointed out._ "And they are incredibly protected. The power of the stone is too alluring to be close enough to you that you can simply go and wield it, so you can't allow it to stay with your own people."_

_"No. I know."_

Besides, he didn't want it to stay where it was – any more than the stone wanted to be there.

_"Well, think about it. There's no real hurry, and there's plenty to consider before you decide. It's a good fit, though."_

There was agreement from the stones, and Peter sighed, rolling over in his sleep and jarring the hand that he'd been subconsciously protecting. He came awake in an instant, of course, with a muffled curse and a soft yelp of pain.

_"Do you require medical assistance, Peter?"_ Karen asked, immediately.

"No." he groaned and sat up, careful not to disturb Nutmeg as he did. "No. I'm fine. I just hit my hand."

_"Should I tell Tony?"_

"No. It's okay. Really."

He couldn't have him rushing in for every little ache, now could he? Besides, he'd call Stephen back to look at it, again, and really there wasn't anything that he'd say that Peter didn't already know. It was hurting and he needed to be more careful. The boy lay back on the bed, once more, mulling over the dream that he'd had, and the conversation that had taken place.

Alec was silent in his head, and Peter knew that he would be, unless he addressed him, directly. The alien sorcerer had given him his options. Had offered up a suggestion for a fairly safe place for the power stone to go. Now he would allow Peter the chance to think about it. Peter closed his eyes, still feeling good, despite the ache, now. The dream had been that good, really, even with the conversation about the power stone.

He was still debating pros and cons when he fell asleep, again.


	183. Chapter 183

"If you sleep all day _I'm_ not going to get my ice cream…"

Peter smiled, even as he was waking up; the voice in his ear was sexy and playful, and he knew just how deadly she was. The fact that she was willing to be so familiar with him, when he knew she wasn't like that with many people, was one of the things that he loved most about his new reality.

"I'm not _sleeping_," he told Natasha, stretching as he rolled onto his back to look up at her. "Just resting my eyes."

Her hand came to his forehead.

"You're a little warm."

"I just woke up," he pointed out. "Sleeping people are warmer than awake people."

"How do you feel?"

She was watching him, intently, so he knew better than to lie – and besides, there wasn't anything to lie about, this time.

"I feel pretty good."

"And the hand?"

"Aches a bit, still. Not as bad as before. What time is it?"

"Dinner time."

"I slept all afternoon?"

"Yup. And there was a bit of a discussion before I was told to come wake you up. The argument being that if you were that sleepy, then you should be allowed to rest." She smirked, and got off his bed, using a grip on his left hand to pull him to his feet, too. "I was promised ice cream, though, and I really want a sundae. Especially a _free_ one."

Peter smiled, shaking his head. He was well aware that she was teasing him, and he liked it. Again, not something she did with everyone – just those closest to her. Which included him.

"We probably have to eat dinner, first."

"I'm not sixteen and subject to mom and dad's rules…" Romanoff pointed out, scooping up Nutmeg, who had been lounging on Peter's bed with him.

He shrugged, stretching again, as they walked out of his bedroom and toward the door.

"But I am, and I'm buying the ice cream. Which means, vicariously, you are, too."

"Huh… I didn't think of that. Think Tony would roll his eyes if I called him _dad_?"

"Better than _daddy_," Peter told her, smirking.

She slapped his shoulder, snorting, indelicately, but amused at the reminder that even though he was a sweetheart, and had the face of an innocent angel, he _was_, in fact, a teenaged boy. Complete with all the crudeness that could come with it.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that," she replied, primly. "And you'd do well not to repeat it, mister."

The boy grinned.

"Sorry, not sorry…"

Natasha laughed. She was glad to see him so cheerful, and really, he was at his snarkiest when he was feeling good, so she decided that he _was_, really, feeling as good as he said he was.

"You're _going_ to be sorry," she said, putting her arm around him as they walked down the corridor toward the lounge. "Especially if I don't get my ice cream."

"I'll buy you as much as you want."

He had a hundred dollars, after all.

OOOOOOO

Tony and Pepper were at their table when Peter walked in with Natasha. The assassin set Nutmeg on his cat tree out of the way – for now – and sat down with them.

"Where are the others?" Romanoff asked, curiously.

Clint, Steve and Carol had all been there when she'd gone to wake Peter, and Bruce had been finishing up a project and was also going to join them.

"They'll be back," Tony said, watching Peter as he walked over, just to get an idea of how he was feeling. He was pleased to see that he looked cheerful and well rested. Both of which were concerns that he and Pepper always had in the forefront of their thoughts. "How do you feel?"

Peter smiled.

"I'm good."

"And the hand?" Pepper asked, reaching out and brushing her palm against his forehead before Tony could do the same.

"It's sore. But not bad."

"You're a little warm."

"I'm okay. Really."

Now Tony did reach out to touch his face, as well, frowning.

"You _are_ warm."

"I'm okay." He rolled his eyes, amused and touched by their concern. "_Really_. Natasha wants to forgo dinner and go get ice cream."

"Well, _that_ isn't happening," Pepper said, looking at both of them like they were crazy to even suggest such a thing. "You have to have dinner, first."

"So do you," Tony told Natasha. He didn't know why Peter suddenly snickered, and had to dodge a swipe from the assassin – and he was pretty sure he didn't _want_ to know. "We'll eat, and then we'll go get ice cream, and then you can come see the progress I've made on manufacturing the front end."

"Did the lights come in?"

"Nope. And they were supposed to, so if they don't show up by the time you and mom get home, tomorrow, someone is going to get a phone call. I want to be ready to start assembling pieces by this weekend, and the lights have to go one before the grill."

"We don't have a grill."

"Because we haven't gone to get it," Romanoff said. "Clint and I will fetch it, tomorrow."

"In the city?"

"In Detroit."

"_Michigan_?"

"Yup." She smiled. "But before you turn on those beautiful brown eyes of yours and ask if you can come with us, I'll remind you that tomorrow is a _school_ day, and you're already getting behind. We'll take you to Detroit another time, when you can sightsee."

"Oh." There was a flash of chagrin, but he nodded. "Yeah. No. I understand. Thanks."

"You're welcome." She turned to Pepper and Tony. "Do we call Stephen to have him check out the fever?"

Tony hesitated, looking at Pepper and then at Peter.

"You really feel alright? I mean, I get the pain in the hand, but anything else hurt? Head? Belly? Anything?"

"No. I really do feel okay. It's probably the stones from earlier. I was close to them, right? And maybe it was some kind of magic that brought May and mom and dad, or something."

"You're sure?" Pepper asked, just to make sure.

"Yeah. You can check me tonight, before I go to bed." They would anyway. "If it's still up, maybe we'll ask if Stephen isn't busy and would mind coming to see if it's something else – although one of the others could take my blood pressure just as easily, and then we wouldn't have to bug him."

"And listen to him be all silently judgey because we let a different doctor near you?" Tony asked. "Not a chance. But, yes; we'll see how you feel before bed, and go from there."

"I _feel_ fine," Peter reminded him, smiling a greeting to the server, who brought him a cola without needing to ask if that was what he wanted.

Stark rolled his eyes, but was willing to take him at his word – as long as he wasn't going to be annoyed when he checked his temperature before bed. He might even use a real thermometer, or something. He was pretty sure they had one somewhere. Which was probably a bit more exact than the hand on the forehead thing.

"Okay, then." He turned at a motion at the entrance and saw the others coming into the lounge. "Let's eat. I want a peanut buster parfait."

Peter smiled; he wanted one, too.

"_You're not going to discuss the power stone with them?"_

"_Not yet,"_ he replied. "_I'm going to think about it, first. Then I'll ask Tony, and see what he thinks before we go any further. I don't like the idea of putting anyone else at risk. There'd have to be someplace secure – and deep."_

He was already mulling it over, but the distraction of ice cream was making it tougher – especially since the little guy inside him was chiming in about how much _he_ liked ice cream, too.

The rest could wait for another time.

OOOOOOOOO

_A/N : So my puppy was neutered, today, and it remains to be seen if the aftermath will cause any distraction or delay in my writing. He's so miserable right now, poor baby. You guys stay safe, and try not to go stir crazy!_


	184. Chapter 184

"Are you alright?"

Peter started – unheard of for him, really, since people didn't sneak up on him very often, of course. He looked up at Tony, who had walked over to where he was sitting. Peter also noticed that while he was daydreaming, the movie had ended without him noticing. It was getting pretty late, after all. The billionaire was watching him with concern, and the boy nodded.

"What? I mean, yeah. I'm good. Just _thinking_."

Stark sat down beside him. They'd had dinner, and went to fetch their ice cream as a group, which was always entertaining. And not just for Peter. They'd even decided to eat there, at the little restaurant, which had been exciting for the few patrons who were there having their own treat. A room filled with superheroes? Who wouldn't be excited by that? It didn't take long for the people there to get the photos and selfies that they were eager to get, and then they'd left the group to eat their ice cream.

When they were done and had returned to the compound, the others thanked Peter for the treat, but had errands and things to do, leaving him alone with Tony and Pepper. They'd gone to their quarters for a quiet evening of movie watching and Pepper had excused herself after the first one to go finish some notes for another merger she was working on. Leaving Peter and Tony to amuse themselves. Which was easy enough, really.

Tony had needed to make one call – the headlights for the Pontiac were still AWOL and he had the CEO of the company on the phone to ask what was going on. While he was, Peter had zoned out, a little, thinking about the power stone – and also thinking back to the conversation he'd had with his folks, and May.

"Thinking about what?" Tony asked, brushing his hand against the boy's forehead – even though he'd checked him half a dozen times for fever that evening and he seemed to be less heated than before. "Secret _Avenger_ things?"

Peter smiled.

"Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer it, though…"

"You can ask me anything."

"What would you say to _your_ mom and dad…? I mean, if you saw them like I saw mine…"

Tony didn't even look surprised by the question, and a moment later Peter understood why.

"I was wondering that, myself," Stark admitted. "When I saw yours. I'd probably get all moody with my mom; try to tell her I love her but have something else pop out, instead, that I didn't mean."

"Oh."

"Not because I didn't love my mom," Tony added, quickly. "I _did_. More than she probably knows. But she was in a rough spot; torn between the two men in her life who just didn't get along, no matter what she tried."

Peter knew that Tony's relationship with his own father had been a rough one. It was one of the reasons he counted himself so lucky that he and Tony were so close. Among a million other reasons, of course.

"That must have been hard."

Tony nodded.

"If I could see my dad?" he added, knowing that he hadn't answered the boy's question, yet. "I don't know, son. With so many years between now and all the animosity, I'd like to think we could get along. Maybe he'd even tell me that he was proud of me." The billionaire gave him a shrug. "It took me a while, but I think I turned out alright."

Peter smiled.

"I think you're amazing."

Tony blushed. He couldn't help himself. There was no hero worship in Peter's expression. Nothing but total sincerity and absolute love. To have such unconditional love tossed at him so easily by someone who was as great as Peter was? He wanted to hug him. But he didn't. Instead, he turned to humor to diffuse the surge of emotion that wanted to break free.

Another reason he and his dad probably hadn't gotten along so well, he supposed. He knew Peter would understand, though.

"You're just saying that to get me to unground you."

Peter smiled at that. Tony was right; he completely understood. Even more, he was willing to play along.

"Is it working?"

"Nope. Still grounded."

He shrugged.

"It was worth a shot."

"Anything else I need to know about?"

Peter hesitated, but shook his head.

"Not yet."

"Which means there is?"

"Yes. But I'm not ready to discuss it, yet."

"And when you are…?"

"_You're_ the first person on my list."

"Is it dangerous?" Tony wanted to know, not quite ready to let the topic drop. "Or do we need to warn Natasha you might end up in her bed?"

"I don't think so. I was thinking about it, earlier, and slept just fine."

"Is it _Shuri_?"

Peter smiled, and the lack of any kind of blush told Tony that he wasn't even close. Or that the boy was still clueless. Which was probably closer to the truth.

"No. She's fine. I got an email from her, earlier, telling me that she's allowed out of bed, now."

"That's good news." Now it was Stark's turn to hesitate. "Since I have you here – _and_ you'll probably hear it from your princess…"

"Yeah?"

"T'Challa and the Wakandans want to have a celebration in your honor. For what you did. For their country, and people – and the rest of the world, even though no one else really knows the part that you played in it."

"Shuri mentioned it," Peter said, shaking his head. "It's dumb, really; I did the wielding the stones thing, but they – and the others and you guys – actually kept the attack at bay to buy me time. It should be your celebration. Or Shuri's, since it was her tech that did so much damage to Thanos."

"Did you tell her that?"

"Yes. She hasn't replied, yet."

"Let me know what you hear, will you?"

Peter nodded, and now he gave Tony a sly look.

"I could talk to her, easier, if I had my phone back…"

"And in another however many days, that's going to happen. For now, emails will have to do."

Meh. It had been worth a shot.

"You don't even know how many days I have left?"

"It's hard to keep track when it keeps getting changed," Tony said, defensively. "Besides, Pepper's keeping track for us."

"That's disconcerting…"

Tony smiled and leaned over, pressing a kiss that wasn't really a kiss against Peter's temple. God, he loved the boy.

"You can ask her in the morning if you need to."

"I'm going to bed."

"I think I am, too. Natasha and Clint should be back before you and mom get home, and the lights are guaranteed to be here, tomorrow, if the guys has to drive them over here, himself."

"Thank you."

"Do you need anything?"

Peter shook his head.

"I have everything."

"Now you know how I feel every day."

That made the boy smile.

"I'll see you at breakfast."

"Good night, son."

He got to his feet, but not before he hugged Tony, as hard as he safely could. Just to make sure the man knew how much he loved him. Then he went to find his kitten so he could go to bed without wondering what destruction was being wrought over night.


	185. Chapter 185

"Where did he find me?"

Pepper smiled, looking over at her son for the briefest moments before turning her attention to the road, again.

"Out by the field." She reached over and patted his leg, cheerfully. "He told me that he almost _expected_ it, really."

Peter nodded, but couldn't help but be a little exasperated with himself.

"He asked me outright last night if I thought I was going to end up with Natasha and I told him no."

She shrugged, not at all concerned. This wasn't a bad episode and he hadn't had one for a while.

"You _didn't_ end up with Natasha," Pepper pointed out. "So you were right about that."

"Did he say anything to me?" Peter asked. "Do you know?"

She did. Of course she did. From the minute Friday had given them the heads up that Peter had left the compound main building until Tony returned to their bed – _without_ Peter – she'd been kept apprised of what had happened.

"He found you sitting in that old chair," she told him, referring to a lounge chair that Peter liked to sit in when he was watching the military people do drills. Or if he was just in the mood for some fresh air. "When he asked you what you were doing, you told him you were thinking."

"About what?"

"You didn't tell him. Tony took you back to _your_ room, rather than ours – since you seemed fine – and told me what happened."

She had asked, of course, but Tony hadn't been sure. He had his own ideas, and shared them with her, but without Peter confirming them, they were just guessed.

"Huh."

Pepper glanced at him, again.

"Are you alright, sunshine? Is it the hand bothering you? Or something else? Are you worried about school?"

"No. I mean, my hand hurts a little, but nothing like it did, before. And school is okay. I'm going to catch up." He looked out the window for a moment, watching the trees go by and wondering what the deer that he'd hit was doing. It was probably fine, he knew, but those were things that he tended to worry about. "I'm trying to figure out where to put the power stone," he told Pepper.

She was pretty smart. Like Tony, but in a different way. Wiser than him and Tony combined, he knew. Maybe she could act as a sounding board. Besides, he didn't like having a secret like that hanging over him – and maybe that was why he was stressing enough to leave his bed in the middle of the night.

Pepper nodded.

"That was what we were thinking it probably was." It didn't hurt to have confirmation, though. "What are your thoughts, so far?"

"It can't go back to the people Thanos stole it from. They've been decimated, really, and can't keep it safe."

"Even if they wanted it…" she agreed. "The thing was nothing but trouble for them and their world. They'd probably kick you off their planet for suggesting it."

"Yeah." He hadn't even thought of that. He was more worried about keeping the stone away from someone who might make a play like Thanos had. "Thor and the Asgard could probably protect two stones – they're pretty tough. But I don't want the power stone anywhere near Loki, really. And the collector can't have two – because he might obsess and decide to start trying to get them all – even though he was warned off. It's his nature to collect things, and it might be too tempting."

"So what are your options, then? It's not like we know a lot of alien cultures, after all."

She inwardly was bemused to be having this kind of conversation. Most parents taking their kids into school, or the office (or both, in this case) were probably talking about their homework, or a fieldtrip that was coming up, or something their pet did. Of course, Peter's pet was an alien creature that looked like a kitten and sprouted tentacles and teeth out of its mouth, but still…

"Yeah. I don't… it's really powerful. And Alec and Stephen and Wong have all warned me that it would be really tempting to use it, again, for something that I really want – or thought I needed. And it's dangerous. So I can't keep it. Not here in the compound, anyway."

"So you want it far enough away that you can't have ready access to it, but close enough that you know it's safe."

"Right. But someplace out of reach, really, unless I make an effort to get it. Just in case."

"The moon?"

He hesitated. He hadn't thought about that. But then shook his head.

"I don't think it would be protected, there. It would just be out where someone – an alien someone, more likely than an astronaut – could just find it."

"Why do I get the feeling that you have an idea, but you're not sure about it?"

"I was thinking Wakanda," Peter admitted. "I don't know where. The gorilla city, or T'Challa's palace have a lot of people, but if they weren't told it was there, maybe it could be hidden and be safe. But there's a chance that someone might find out where it was and go looking for it – and put T'Challa's people in danger. I don't want that to happen, and it wouldn't be fair to them."

"If someone were to come look for it, you'd know, though, right? The mind stone would know they wanted it, and give you a heads up?"

"I think so. Still… it's a lot of people."

"How about your mine? Would it be safe in that?"

He looked over at here, an eyebrow raised.

"The vibranium mine?"

"They run deep, right? As I recall. There aren't a lot of people in the area, normally, and it's far enough from the city that no one is just going to stumble over it. All of those mines have been picked clean, the guides told us, and no one goes there but tourists."

Of course, Wakanda didn't have tourists, normally, so that wasn't really a concern, now was it?

"That's a good idea…" Peter said, suddenly feeling a little excited. "I mean, I wouldn't just sneak in and drop it off. I'd ask T'Challa so he could give the final okay – or say no. He might have a better place, too…"

But the mine was definitely a good location. Isolated, and deep, and still protected.

"You could probably talk to him and Tony about it," Pepper added. "Maybe they could set up some kind of shield that would keep people out of it."

"Or we could set something up just where the stone is – at the bottom of the mine, I mean. That way it doesn't look any different from any of the others from the outside, but if someone happened to be out and was looking around the mines, and got too close, then it would stop them, or something."

"Not permanently."

He shook his head.

"No. Nothing like that." He smiled, feeling a surge of relief. It might be the best answer, really. "I'll think about it, a little more, but that's a good suggestion. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Feel better?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now let's discuss your schoolwork, today."

Peter rolled his eyes, good-naturedly, but allowed his thoughts to pull back from the power stone for the time being so he and Pepper could talk about the test that he was taking that morning.

She smirked at the typical teenager expression and knew that she'd need to talk to Tony, later, so he could discuss the idea with T'Challa – and Peter. But it could wait. Now she wanted to spend some quality time with him, doing nothing more lifechanging than discussing physics.


	186. Chapter 186

"_So I was right? It's just the power stone?"_

Pepper rolled her eyes at the image on her display, and across the room at his desk – where he was, technically, taking a physics quiz – Peter smiled.

"Yes, _husband_. You were right."

"_So, it's serious, but not something that we didn't already know about."_

"Correct. The run of the mill _where do I put the magic stone to keep it from destroying the universe when I'm not there to watch it_ kind of thing."

Peter snorted, which made Pepper look over at him and smile, ignoring the fact that he obviously wasn't working too hard on his quiz. She had asked the boy if he minded if she shared with Tony what they'd talked about on the way into the city, and Peter had given her his permission, gratified, really, that she'd asked, first. So, he'd settled in with his quiz, and Pepper had taken advantage of the free time she had just then before her meetings started to call Tony.

Tony smiled.

"_We can discuss it more, later. How are things, otherwise?"_

"Just starting our day. You?"

"_I just saw Romanoff and Barton leave, and I'm going to go do some measuring before I start finishing the replacement part of the hood."_

"We'll leave you to it, then."

"_Tell our son that I love him."_

She looked over at Peter, who was smiling and not even bothering to pretend that he was focusing on his quiz.

"I'll do that. Love you."

"_Love you, too. Bye."_

The billionaire ended the call and Pepper leaned back in her comfortable chair, and reached for her coffee mug.

"Your daddy loves you."

Peter's smile widened at the verbiage.

"I love him, too."

"Good. Finish that quiz."

"Yes, mommy."

She rolled her eyes, but she was grinning, too, when she tapped her display, next, to see what her first meeting was going to be.

OOOOOOO

There were several people in the garage to meet them when they pulled in that afternoon. Peter was surprised to see that Bruce was there – transformed into Hulk – and he was standing off to the side talking with Clint, Natasha, Steve and Tony somewhere near where the Pontiac was parked. Stark broke off from the conversation when they pulled up, walking over to Pepper's side of the car to open the door when she stopped.

As he usually did, he took her bag from her with a loving kiss, and offered her a hand out of the car.

"How was the drive?"

"It was sunny and clear," she replied, smiling at the others, who were waiting. "Just how we like it."

"Good." Tony looked over at Peter, who was getting out of his side. "Come look at what we've done."

The boy nodded, walking over to his car, and greeting the others. He stopped, surprised, and couldn't help that his mouth fell open.

The car was intact. Well, all of the pieces were where they were supposed to be, anyway. The hood was attached, the bumper, lights and grill and all the chrome was gleaming in the light of the garage and what little was filtering in from the open door.

"Wow. You got it done?"

"Not completely," Tony told him, looking smug. "But it's all there. We were waiting for the rest of the front end, and the headlights, of course. When they came in – and Natasha and Clint just happened to return at the same time – I couldn't help but come in and see if everything would fit together on the first try."

"I did the heavy lifting," Bruce/Hulk told him, looking pleased.

Both at how happy Peter looked, and almost certainly at being able to assist in his other form.

"I helped with the engine," Steve added, holding up his grease-stained hands for proof.

"I helped with the alignment and smart ass comments," Clint said, smirking.

Peter looked at Natasha, who shrugged.

"I just looked pretty."

The boy laughed, and hugged Tony, first, but then each of the others – including Bruce in his Hulk form – which was just as amazing to him as it probably was to Banner.

"Wow. Thanks, guys."

"We still need to finish a few connectors," Tony told him, obviously pleased with himself. "And we'll have to paint it, of course. But, yeah, it's going to be ready for a test drive by tomorrow and ready to drive by the time you're ungrounded."

"Wow." The boy stepped up, running his hand along the fender. "That's amazing."

His eyes filled with tears, and it was Natasha who pulled him into her arms and hugged him.

"It's the least we could do for you, baby," she told him, kissing his cheek. "You know, because you bought us _ice cream_."

Peter chuckled, and wiped his eyes on her collar before pulling away.

"Thanks."

They all looked pleased with themselves, now, and not at all concerned by the tears. Pepper had put her arm around Tony, who kissed the top of her head. One more closure for their boy, right? They were getting there.

"We should celebrate," Pepper told them. "Everyone get changed – Bruce, lose the green guy – and I'll take you all out to dinner."

"At the truck stop?" Steve asked, hopefully, making Tony scowl.

_He_ didn't like going to the truck stop – although it had nothing to do with the quality of their food and everything to do with past memories of Peter being mistreated there. None of which had been the staff's fault, and the others knew it, so they still frequented the place – and Peter was a favorite of many of the waitresses, there, as well as some of the regular drivers who came through every few days.

Pepper didn't miss Tony's reaction, but she also noticed that Peter looked hopeful, too.

"Sure. We can go there."

"Yes."

Steve smirked, triumphantly, at Stark, who rolled his eyes but gave in with a little grace, and Peter chuckled at the interplay between the two men.

"Sally's working, tonight," the boy said. He knew all of the waitresses' schedules, for the most part. "She probably baked cookies."

Only partially mollified, since he knew the woman made amazing cookies for the place, but he could always have Peter or Pepper just go pick him up some, Tony shrugged.

"Sounds good."

"Is Carol coming?" Peter asked Steve as they all started heading for the exit.

"I'll see if she wants to," came the reply. "She's been with Nick all day, so she's probably ready for a break."

"What are they up to?" Peter asked, waving to Tony, Pepper and Bruce when they turned off at one corridor and the rest went the other direction toward their own rooms.

"He's picking her brain on what else is out there that we need to know about," Steve said, amused. "He's been doing it for a while, of course, but with everything calming down, he's using the opportunity to take the time to finish with it."

"Is he learning anything?" Natasha asked.

Rogers shrugged.

"There's always a threat out there, Nat," he said, casually. "You know that.

"If there weren't, we'd be out of business," Clint pointed out, not looking any more concerned than Steve.

"True." She smirked. "Maybe I'll see if Stephen wants to come to dinner."

They all knew he wasn't a fan of the truck stop, either – except for their coffee, which he was willing to admit was pretty good stuff.

"Even better," Clint said. "Don't tell him we're eating out, and then he can have the happy surprise of finding out when we leave."

She wasn't the only one to chuckle.

"I probably owe him that for the ugly t-shirt," she agreed.

They were all still grinning when Peter ducked into his quarters, promising that he'd see them soon and feeling pretty cheerful about the whole day, really.

Right up until he walked in on Nutmeg gnawing on the Ironman doll and felt the toddler inside scream in indignation even as he rescued the small stuffed doll from the kitten, checking for any damages that needed repaired. He tapped the world's most dangerous kitten on the nose in admonishment.

"You keep that up, and I'm going to have to learn how to sew," he chided.

The kitten didn't look guilty and the toddler wasn't mollified. Peter ignored them both as well as he could, put the doll back up on the high shelf where it had been, and debated calling T'Challa then and there, so he could get rid of the power stone and get his polymorph back and use it for what it was best at being; a 4 million dollar cage to keep his stuffed doll away from his crazy kitten.


	187. Chapter 187

In the end, it was a couple of days before the issue with Wakanda and the power stone could be addressed with her king. It was Tony who addressed it, too. Not that he didn't trust Peter to do it, he was quick to point out, but he was far better at negotiations than the boy, and besides, he didn't want Peter to have to worry about trying to figure out what to say on top of everything else.

He and Pepper were just sitting down to breakfast Saturday morning when Friday announced that T'Challa was calling for Tony.

"Perfect." He pulled up his phone, and the 3D display, bringing T'Challa's visage online. "Good evening, your Majesty."

_"Tony. Good morning to you. Am I interrupting?"_

"Just breakfast, and we haven't even truly begun. How's everything and everyone?"

"They are well, thank you. And your family and the Avengers?"

"Doing fine." He smiled. "Peter got his brace off his hand, yesterday."

_"Shuri told me. That is good news. How much longer is he forbidden from using his phone?"_

"Another week."

_"A lifetime."_

"So it must seem."

_"Is he there?"_

"No. He's with Natasha and Steve. They're flying to Boston," Tony added. "We're going to repaint Peter's car, and I figured I'd send him up to pick out the color that he wanted."

_"Shuri tells me he is going to make sure it is the same color as before."_

Proof that T'Challa probably heard far more about what was going on with Peter than he really wanted to. Not a huge surprise, but probably not what a king really needed to know about someone who wasn't even from his own land.

"That's what he wanted."

The young king hesitated.

_"I have some matters to discuss with you and Pepper. Is there any way you can have Stephen make a portal to bring me to your compound?"_

"Now?"

It was getting late in Wakanda, after all.

_"Evening is the easiest time for me to leave like this. Unless you are otherwise occupied?"_

"No." Tony looked at Pepper to make sure, but she nodded. "I'll call Stephen and see if he minds and have him set it up with you."

That would be easier all around, really.

_"I will be waiting to hear from you. Thank you."_

OOOOOOO

Stephen was willing – not surprisingly – and curious enough that even if he _hadn't_ been willing, he still would have come to the compound less than ten minutes later to provide instant movement for T'Challa. Pepper and Tony were waiting when he arrived and a few minutes later they were in their quarters, knowing that T'Challa would prefer to not have an audience since he did audiences all day at home. They did, however, make sure to have refreshments available for him and whoever he brought with him.

"Ready?" Stephen asked.

"Whenever you are," Tony said, moving to the side and drawing Pepper with him.

They watched as the portal was made with a simple motion of Strange's hand and arm, and a moment later T'Challa walked through, Okoye a step behind him. The young king smiled a greeting.

"Thank you, Stephen," he said with a polite nod. "It is much appreciated."

"My pleasure, T'Challa."

When he was certain no one else was coming, he closed the portal, surprised by the lack of others.

He wasn't the only one.

"T'Challa," Tony said, stepping forward and offering the young king his hand. "Where's your sister? I expected her to accompany you."

"She is asleep," he replied, shaking Tony's hand, cheerfully, and then embracing Pepper and kissing her, politely. "I preferred her to not come for this meeting."

"Oh?" Tony led the way to the bar, and was surprised when Okoye made herself scarce, purposefully walking across the room and out of the door, where Tony knew that she wouldn't go far. T'Challa was her responsibility, after all. He must have mentioned to her that he didn't want her at the meeting, either, however. "I assumed we were discussing this upcoming celebration in Wakanda… am I mistaken?"

"Yes and no. We do need to discuss that, but there is not much to say. The festivities will last all weekend, and it would be our great honor if Peter and anyone who wishes to attend from the compound would attend as much as possible. There will be contests, entertainments, games, food of all kinds and from all areas of my country and every noble in my land will be in attendance. It is shaping up to be something of an epic celebration, really."

"Sounds fun," Pepper said. "We accept."

T'Challa smiled.

"Very good." Then he hesitated, looking at Strange for a moment, and then shrugging as if deciding that the man was trusted enough to be a part of whatever conversation was to come. "There is another matter that I wish to discuss, however. One that is of a much graver and serious note."

"Oh?" Tony frowned. "Is everything alright?"

"I was speaking with my father, yesterday. He-"

"I thought your father was gone…" Tony interrupted.

It wasn't a secret, after all.

The young king didn't mind the interruption. He nodded.

"That is true. However, just because he has lost his mortal body, it does not mean that I no longer can speak with him. My line – and a few others – possess the capability to seek out ancestors in the holy place. An Astral plane. It is this constant connection that we have that keeps our leadership stable."

"You walk the Astral plane?" Stephen asked, surprised.

"You know of it?"

"I've been there."

"I'm surprised you guys aren't bumping into each other left and right there," Tony said, also surprised, but hiding it behind a sarcastic remark. "It seems to be a high-traffic area."

Strange smirked, but T'Challa nodded, used to Stark's flippant attitude, but unwilling to lose the thread of the conversation.

"My father spoke to me, Tony," he continued. "And told me that you possess something, here, that needs Wakanda to protect it."

Tony and Pepper both frowned.

"He said that, did he?" Tony asked. "Your _father_ told you?"

"He did." T'Challa shrugged. "At first, I admit that I thought that he meant _Peter_. I was already trying to figure out how to persuade you to bring your son to me when I knew that there were no words that could ever convince you to do something like that."

"True."

"Not to mention, the danger to Peter is passed. Then another ancestor stepped forward, beside my father, and said that it was not the boy that needs protection, but a jewel. I was told – _ordered_ – by my ancestors to come talk to you and offer whatever you may require."

"Wow…"

Tony looked at Pepper.

"Yeah, wow. That's incredible, T'Challa."

The young man smiled, probably relieved that he hadn't had to prove to the skeptical Americans that he was able to speak to people long dead, much less that they had told him to tell Tony to give him something that must have great value.

"Is it safe for me to assume that you have such a jewel, then?" he asked. "Something Wakanda should be protecting for you?"

Tony nodded.

"Yeah. I'd say so. Come and sit down, will you? It's a long story, and while you know some of it, you don't know all of it, and you probably should before you agree to do anything. No matter what your father told you."

T'Challa nodded, and took Pepper's arm as they walked across the room and settled on the sofa. He was focused on Tony, though, ready to hear what was so important that his entire lineage had literally rose up to tell him he was going to do it. Whether he wanted to, or not.

OOOOOOOO

"So this jewel… it cannot be triggered without someone to focus its energy?"

"Not as we understand it. Usually, it's inert, like any other stone. The thing has been in my safe since the day Peter used it, and nothing has happened. But it's too close to him for his safety – but we've been trying to think of a place to put it. To keep it safe. Peter mentioned putting it in the bottom of his vibranium mine with a shield around the inner chamber to keep anyone from finding it, accidentally, and maybe getting hurt."

T'Challa nodded.

"Your son is very wise. It would be an ideal place. Let me think about how best to situate it and I will have the mine prepared."

"Of course."

Strange spoke up, though.

"The less people who know about the location of the stone – or even the existence of the stone – the better."

"Of course. Which makes Peter's mine the perfect location, really." He stood, pressing a mark on his sleeve as he did, and smiled at the three. "I am pleased that you are willing to allow Wakanda to assist with this."

"It's a burden we didn't really want to put on you," Tony said. "Or your country. Peter's worried about someone getting wind of the power stone's location and coming after it."

"It is our honor to be part of something so incredible. Even if my people will not know of it, completely. As for someone coming for it," Okoye entered the room, and Tony realized T'Challa had summoned her. "Wakanda has withstood all who would trespass her borders for ill gain, and always will. We will speak more of this, later, Tony," he added, offering his hand to the billionaire, once more.

"I appreciate it."

"You may thank me by bringing your wife and son to our celebration." He turned to Stephen. "You are invited, as well, of course. And your friend, Wong. As well as the Avengers."

Obviously.

"We accept," Stephen told him.

"Good." He looked at Okoye. "We are ready to return."

Strange waved his hand, and a portal appeared at the same place it had been the first time.

"Call if you need anything," Tony told him.

"I will."

A moment later he and his bodyguard were gone, and Stephen closed the portal.

"Well. That was easier than I thought it'd be."


	188. Chapter 188

"So, I'm invited but Ned and MJ aren't?"

"Correct." Strange shrugged. "You know everything that the Wakandans know," he pointed out. "And while Ned knows most of it, and would have been allowed to come if not for the fact that his mother needed him home, this weekend – the Avengers don't want to run the risk that someone might let something slip in front of MJ, who is extremely observant and most certainly _doesn't_ know everything."

"And doesn't need to know, either," Wong added.

"True. I'm going to go for the weekend, but if you're not interested in being away that long, T'Challa advised the final ceremony is going to be late Sunday – their time."

"That's the part I'm looking forward to seeing," the other magician admitted. "It'll be interesting to see what the Wakandans have in mind for Peter."

"You really think that they'll offer him some kind of rewards?"

The two had spoken about the upcoming weekend several times the previous week, and Wong had practically guaranteed Stephen that T'Challa would give Peter something to show the appreciation of his country. Whether Peter wanted it, or not. It was part of their honor code, he'd explained. Strange had passed the warning onto Tony and Pepper, but since they trust T'Challa not to make any crazy overtures to their son (A Wakandan wife, for example, or a herd of rhino) they didn't bother to warn Peter, figuring the boy didn't need anything to worry about.

"Absolutely."

Strange trusted Wong's sensibilities when it came to that kind of thing. He was a scholar of human behavior, after all

"I'm going to head to the compound. Are you coming?"

"No. I'll wait until Sunday."

"If you insist."

Wong smirked.

"Take notes, though."

"Absolutely."

The sorcerer vanished from the sanctum and appeared an instant later in Natasha's quarters, since he'd called her to warn her that he was coming so she could be clear. She'd let him know she'd be in Peter's rooms, so that was his first stop, and he knocked, lightly, but didn't wait for an answer before letting himself into the living room area.

And promptly shook his head.

Peter was on the floor of his quarters, wrestling with Clint Barton – who wasn't going to Wakanda for the entire weekend of celebrations, but intended to be there for late Sunday like Wong. Clearly, he was making sure Peter didn't miss him too much in the interim.

Strange looked at Natasha, who was watching the two of them but was cuddling Nutmeg to keep the kitten out of trouble.

"Do they just wait until I'm coming to start wrestling?" he asked. "Just so I can break it up?"

"Nope. It's an all the time thing," she assured him.

"Hey, Stephen," Peter said from somewhere under Clint's left arm. "Are you packed?"

"I knew I forgot something," the sorcerer said, frowning.

A moment later a bag appeared in his hand.

"That's handy," Natasha said, approvingly, offering him her cheek for a kiss.

"I'm a handy guy."

She smiled her agreement, but turned her attention to the two on the floor.

"Are you guys done? I want Peter in one piece."

"Then we're done," Clint conceded, releasing his grip on the boy, and rolling off of him. "I don't want to give him a bruise before he goes to see his _girlfriend_."

Peter scrambled to his feet.

"Your _wife_ isn't going to be there," he reminded him, saucily, dancing away when Clint took a swipe at him and missed. "She's going to be stuck at home with you."

Natasha chuckled, pleased that her baby was getting better at banter. Especially at Clint's expense. It was an indication that he was happy, and relaxed.

Clint scowled at her amusement.

"Don't _encourage_ him, Nat. He's becoming a wiseass."

She smirked, handing Nutmeg over to Stephen and pulling Peter into her arms.

"Of course, he is," she agreed. "But he's _our_ wiseass."

Peter made a show of hiding behind her and stuck his tongue out at the archer, who grinned and shook his fist, dramatically, at the boy.

"_Next time_, Parker…"

Strange smiled at the interaction, beyond the shock or contempt that he might have felt at one point to see them drop all their dignity and play with a teenager. He understood, completely, and he had been known to tease Peter, too, at one point or another in the time that he'd known the boy.

"Are we ready?" a new voice asked, making everyone turn toward the door. Steve Rogers smiled at Stephen. "Hey, Stephen. Wong isn't coming?"

"He'll come to the last part, but has passed on the rest. Where's Carol?"

"She's getting her bag. She'll meet us in the workroom."

"Who's watching Nutmeg, here?" Strange asked, looking at the kitten he was holding.

"Nick is," Peter replied, reaching for the little creature. "He's watching Ironpig, too."

"But not Jack?" Stephen asked Rogers.

"I'm taking Jack home with me," Clint said. "Lila insisted."

"She wanted Nutmeg and Ironpig, too," Natasha explained. "But that is a lot of spoiled animals on one little farm."

"Especially with Peter Pony already there," Clint added.

Peter flipped his kitten over onto his back and rubbed his belly.

"Nutmeg isn't spoiled," the boy said. "_Are_ you, little man? Are you? Huh?"

The adults all rolled their eyes, amused at the baby talk and the way Peter buried his face in the furry belly – and the kitten purred, loudly, in approval.

"Go take him to Nick," Natasha told Peter. "I'll bring your bag. Meet us at the workroom."

"Okay."

The boy left, kitten in hand, and Strange shook his head.

"You guys don't get freaked out watching him get his face so close to Nutmeg like that?"

"I scream inside every time," Romanoff admitted, wryly. "But there isn't any indication that he's going to do anything, and-"

"And _Peter_ isn't going to give him up without a fight," Clint added.

"And even if he wasn't the baddest teenager in the world, I wouldn't do anything to upset him, if I could help it," Steve finished. "Besides, if Nutmeg wanted to eat one of us, he'd have eaten Tony a long time ago."

"How do you figure that?"

"He's the most arrogant, right?" Clint asked. "Ego probably tastes delicious."

Stephen smirked.

"I hope not."

Tony wasn't the _only_ one with an ego, after all.

OOOOOOO

Peter's phone rang as he was walking down the corridor with Nutmeg safely tucked under his arm. He grinned, still pleased to have his phone back – three days early, because Tony and Pepper had decided they wanted him to have access to it for the weekend, in case he wanted to take pictures and send them to Ned or MJ.

Of course, he had already packed the camera case that Elmer Ruff's wife and daughter had sent to him from Idaho, but he didn't bother to mention that, since he was really happy to have the phone in hand, again. He'd missed over a thousand texts – which was insane considering he didn't have that many friends – and had spent part of the day clearing them out.

He looked at the display.

"Let's see what Uncle Ned wants, huh, big guy?"

"_Peter! Where are you?"_

"At the compound." Ned looked agitated. "Is everything alright?"

_"My mom just said I can go. Is it too late?"_

The teen grinned, feeling a surge of cheer.

"How did you manage that?"

_"Big, sad, puppy eyes – and I managed to squeeze out a tear. Then I said it was your first week being ungrounded and you'd probably need even more therapy than you're already getting if you weren't allowed to have company your own age around. She threw up her hands – you know how she does that – and told me to call."_

"Let me drop Nutmeg off with Nick and I'll ask. Pack some clothes, though, just in case."

_"Great."_

The call ended, and Peter hurried his pace, just a little. He was sure that none of the others would mind if Ned came, but he didn't want to make them late to arrive in Wakanda, either.


	189. Chapter 189

When they left the compound through the portal, it was late Friday evening New York time. When the group emerged into a small, private study of T'Challa's, it was mid Saturday morning, Wakanda time. Which had been done on purpose, even though it meant for a long day for all of the newcomers.

T'Challa was waiting for them, with Shuri by his side and Okoye and a small group of palace servants standing in the background. The king of Wakanda waited politely for the portal to close before stepping forward and greeting Pepper, first. An action that made her smile as he gave her a hug that was far less formal than the rules of courtesy may have demanded.

"It is good to see you."

"Thank you, T'Challa," was the reply.

Pepper let him go and turned her attention to Shuri, hugging the girl, cheerfully, and then moving out of the way so the two Wakandan royals could greet each of them, individually. Peter and Ned hung back, allowing the adults to all go first, despite the fact that it was Peter's party.

"Ned," T'Challa said, offering the teen his hand and a genuine smile. "I am glad that you decided to come."

"Thank you, your majesty," Ned replied, a little more formal with T'Challa than Peter was. He wasn't as used to hanging out with kings, after all. "I had to talk my mom into letting me come, instead of going to my aunt's house for the weekend."

The king nodded, even though he didn't know the story and wouldn't ask, just then – although if it was an interesting one, he knew that he'd hear it from Shuri at some point.

"We will try to make sure _you_ are entertained, this weekend, then."

"Thank you."

Ned moved to say hello to Shuri, who was surprised to see him, but hugged him, warmly, and T'Challa shook Peter's hand. He was careful not to be too rough, knowing full-well that the hand might still ache, despite being out of the brace, now, and affording Peter much more use of it.

"Peter. How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. You?"

"Very well." He smiled. "The tribes have been gathering for more than a week," T'Challa added. "This is an exciting time."

"But I'm not going to have to _do_ anything, right?"

He'd asked, just to make sure. It wasn't going to be fun for Peter if a Wakandan celebration in his honor meant that he had to stand still and attend a bunch of stuffy formal ceremonies and listen to a lot of speeches.

T'Challa understood the question and he shook his head.

"It is a celebration of life, and of new beginnings. Something of a festival, or a carnival. There will be a ceremony tomorrow evening that will require your attendance. Other than that, you are here to simply enjoy yourself. _Shuri_ can help you with that."

The girl nodded her agreement.

"Of course, brother."

"I will want to talk to you and your parents, later, but for now you should look at what is offered for your enjoyment and have a good time."

"Thank you."

He walked over and hugged Shuri, then, and she kissed his cheek.

"Would you like some refreshments?" she asked as she released him.

"Sure."

The others had already been led to the table that held beverages and finger foods, and Shuri and T'Challa mingled among their guests to make small talk and gauge how they all were doing. If they required rest before being presented to the others, it could be arranged, or they could just join in the festivities that were already in full swing in the city and in the area surrounding it. It wasn't a formal reception by any means, and it was clear they were going to try to keep it that way for them.

"My people are aware that you are coming," T'Challa told his guests. "They are in high spirits and have prepared many entertainments and contests. You are free to join in on anything that you want to try, and avail yourself of all vendors and craftsmen that interest you."

"How many vendors are we talking about, T'Challa?" Tony asked, curiously.

The young king didn't smirk, but his expression was a mixture of amused and smug.

"Follow me, please. All of you."

With Okoye at his side, he led them out of the study and down one of the wide hallways of the palace. As always, there was art displayed for them; hanging on the walls, or sitting on pedestals in alcoves. T'Challa didn't slow, however, and they were soon assembled on a huge balcony that opened out to a view of the capitol city on one side and the plain that dominated the area to the west.

"Wow…"

The city was brightly bedecked with colors of all kinds. Banners and bunting and flags, and people that were so far away that to most of those looking, they were simply brightly colored dots. Turning toward the plain, however, there were also people. Not as crowded as the city, because the plain was so large that it could hold a huge number of the population, but it was definitely a party.

There were open areas where livestock was being held. Small groupings of tents and pavilions that almost certainly were acting as marketplaces and temporary living quarters for those who had arrived for the celebration. Even from the distance, they could hear the noise that so many people and animals made in daily routines – much less festivals.

"Many have heeded the invitation," Shuri said, excitedly. "There are tribes from all over Wakanda – some that have not seen each other for a generation."

"All have sent their finest craftsmen," T'Challa added. "To show off what their people can do, and to make commissions for works. Some of the best of Wakanda is on display – and available if you are interested."

"I should have brought a goat," Ned said, leaning over the balcony rail to try and see the street below.

It was T'Challa, himself, who pulled the boy back. No sense in taking any chances, after all.

"You do not need goats," he assured them with a smile as Ned walked over to stand next to Pepper, who put an arm, idly, over the boy's shoulders, protectively, to keep him close – and away from the rail. "My people have been informed that they can take your money at a value that was explained to them. When the festival is over, they can bring your dollars to my treasury, and it will be exchanged for whatever currency they would prefer."

"That's great," Steve said, looking pleased at the idea of having a chance to wander through the markets that he could see – and explore others that were a bit out of the way. "That will definitely make things easier for negotiations."

"Many do not speak your language," Shuri added. "But T'Challa has arranged for translating stations within every marketplace, if needed. They will be able to help you with your negotiations – and can help both parties understand the value of the currency."

"Smart," Stephen said, also looking out at the market.

It was clear he was looking forward to doing some shopping. Maybe there would be a competition between him and Romanoff to see who could find the first ugly Wakandan t-shirt to buy the other.

Peter groaned, though. He hadn't been expecting a need for money, and – as such – his wallet held about $25 dollars. Which wasn't going to be enough to buy anything, really – short of some treats, or little things. As the others already began pointing out the things that they could see that might interest them, he turned to that most common of all teen-aged tactics, and went from the railing to stand in front of Tony and Pepper, looking hopeful.

"Mom…? Dad…?" He smiled at their amusement as they figured it out even before he finished. "Can I have some money? Please?"


	190. Chapter 190

"Who carries that kind of cash on them?" Carol asked, amazed, as all the adults watched as Peter, Ned and Shuri vanished down the hall – with a member of the royal guard following unobtrusively.

Tony smirked, but it was Pepper who answered – also looking smug, despite the fact that Peter's big brown eyes had just neatly divested her of a large stack of bills that she'd just so happened to have brought along with them.

"T'Challa told me this morning of the arrangement he'd decided on. I told Tony so he could make sure we had some cash to spend, if we found something we might like."

"You didn't tell _Peter_?" T'Challa asked, curiously.

"He could have asked Shuri," Tony pointed out. "It'll teach him to use his resources, better, next time."

"Yeah," Natasha said, amused. "_Mom and dad_… the natural cash resource of all kids who need gas money and fast food funds."

Stark shrugged, looking pleased – although he'd given over a lot more than he'd planned to. Peter had Ned to think about, too, after all.

"Stark ATM, at his service."

"You're just going to turn him loose in this place?" Carol asked. "You're not worried he'll find some trouble to get himself into?"

"T'Challa has a detail on his sister," Stark replied, understanding the concern behind the question. "Peter will almost certainly stay with Shuri – to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble – and Ned will stay by Peter, for the same reason. If anything happens, they'll be fine. I don't see them getting into too much trouble, though."

"And it'll be good for him to spend time with people his own age, exclusively," Pepper added.

"How much money did he get from you?" Natasha asked, curiously.

If he hadn't gotten enough, she could always have Stephen portal her back home – or to someplace with an ATM and slip him a few hundred dollars. She was thinking that she might have to, anyway, if she found something _she_ really wanted.

"I gave him a thousand," Pepper replied.

"He got about eight-hundred from me," Tony added.

"Then he's set," Steve said, shaking his head. It was a good thing Peter was so good-natured, because it would be very easy for the boy to become spoiled with Tony for father and Pepper for mother. He looked at Carol. "Shall we go see what they have to look at?"

Danvers nodded, looking at the others.

"Coming?"

"I promised myself in Budapest a long time ago that I'd never go to another market with _Steve_…" Natasha said, smirking. "And I'm not going to try to keep up with Tony's fervent pace when he tries to find something new and different – and then does and spends an hour trying to figure out what it does and how he can make it more efficient." She took Strange's hand in her own. "Call when you get ready to eat and we'll meet you guys for lunch. Or dinner."

"Sounds like a plan."

They all walked off, leaving Tony and Pepper standing with T'Challa and Okoye.

"Well?" Tony asked.

"It is almost ready. We will see what Peter thinks of it – after the festival and celebration is completed."

Pepper smiled, hooking her arm through Tony's.

"Are you going to go look through the displays?" she asked the young king.

"I have a few things I must see to, first, he said. "But then I will come accompany you, if you are willing to deal with the crowds that will follow us."

She rolled her eyes, amused.

"Look who I married," Pepper pointed out. "I'm used to crowds of gawkers."

Tony looked smug.

"True." He kissed her cheek, though. "I love you."

T'Challa smiled at the display.

"I will come find you, in a few hours. Go, enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you."

OOOOOOOO

They stopped at the entrance to the palace, both boys looking around with interest.

"Do we do the city?" Peter asked his friends. "Or see what's going on out on the plains?"

"The plains," Shuri said, hopefully. "I have been watching the shopkeepers and merchants set up in the city for the last week. There will be more entertainment out on the plains."

Ned shrugged.

"Either is fine with me."

"Let's go to the plain, then."

The princess smiled, gratefully, to her companions.

"We have conveyances arranged for any who are moving from one venue to the other – or do not want to make the long walk to the plain for one reason or another."

"Lead on," Peter told her. He pulled the wad of bills that he'd gotten from Pepper and handed Ned a few hundreds. "If you find something your mom would like, you can tell her that you had me commission it when I was here, last. That way she doesn't know."

"Yeah, I will." Ned pocketed the money, knowing that Peter would roll his eyes if he offered to pay him back – but that he'd try to, anyway. "Maybe we'll find something for MJ, too."

She would probably figure out that it wasn't a past commission – she knew about Wakanda and Stephen's portals, after all – but it would make up for her not getting to come with them. Even if _she_ didn't know she was being excluded.

"There will be plenty to look through," Shuri assured them. "Come."

She led the way to the left side of the palace compound and then down to the first street. Behind her were a few guards, but the three teens were able to ignore them as they got into a small cart at was designed to look like it was drawn by a team of oxen, but really was an electric vehicle with a hologram surrounding it.

A very good one, in fact.

They were joined by a young woman with a small girl in her arms, and Shuri smiled, cheerfully, as she moved to allow her a place to sit. The little girl turned on her mother's lap as they started moving, watching the two boys with interest. Peter was sure she'd never seen someone as pale as he was, before, after all, and he wasn't at all shy with children. He struck up a conversation with the woman, asking about what she was most looking forward to seeing in the festival, and what kind of markets they should go look through, first.

The woman shyly responded. She didn't know Peter and Ned, of course, but there was no doubt that she recognized Shuri – and the two royal guards who had joined them discretely in the cart, as well. She mentioned that her husband and his parents were hosting some members of their tribe and that they had a stall set up with ceremonial clothing from her people, made of silk and leathers. Shuri asked what kind, trying to draw her out of her nervousness (she was a princess and very much used to that reaction, of course) and with Ned's cheerful countenance to add to Shuri's polite conversation, it was no real surprise that by the time they reached the edge of the markets on the plain, the little girl was asleep in Peter's arms, and the three had been invited to come to her family's stall for their afternoon meal.

As ranking member of their group, it was Shuri who thanked her for the invitation as they all got out of the cart and Peter handed the still sleeping child over to her mother. They had many places to visit, the princess told her, but they would at least come by, later, to look at their wares – even if they didn't have time to take her up on the offer.

"Your people are amazing, Shuri," Ned said, as the young woman went one direction, and they headed another. Peter had seen some woolen shirts that reminded him of the Jabari tribe that he'd visited, and he wanted to see if he'd get lucky and actually find someone he knew. "Back home you don't invite strangers you meet on the subway to dinner. It's a good way to find yourself in the evening news."

"Or on 60 Minutes, or something," Peter added.

Since she didn't have a clue what that was, Shuri smiled.

"Do not be surprised if we get many such invitations, today," she told the two boys as they walked. "If we were of a mind to, we could eat our way through this entire festival."

Considering how good everything smelled? Peter smirked, nudging Ned with his elbow.

"We could try…" he said, slyly.

"And someone would have to load us into a wheelbarrow and haul us back to the palace from wherever we dropped."

True.


	191. Chapter 191

_A/N: So, I'm sorry about the silence the past couple of days. I had surgery on my leg, and am sitting in my hospital bed even as I write this. But I am fine, so no worries!_

OOOOOOOOOO

"Is there anything in particular that you want to see?" Shuri asked the two boys as they walked. She was amused and gratified by the way they gawked at everything – especially considering that Peter was the son of Ironman and saw amazing things every day, and Ned was from New York, and even in Wakanda they knew that New Yorkers were jaded and underwhelmed by anything that they might see. "The organizers have the tribes separated, for the most part, due to the potential that old disagreements may flare up between certain people, but there is something of everything to be seen."

"Can we see the battle rhinos?" Ned asked, excitedly. "Are there any, here?"

She hesitated, looking at Peter, who rolled his eyes, understanding, immediately.

"I'm not going to try and ride one," he assured her.

"Or steal it?" Ned added, smirking. He looked at Shuri. "Come on. Please, Shuri? A rhino with a saddle? I have to see it."

The princess smiled. She wasn't immune to Ned's hopeful expression.

"Very well."

She led the way, but it wasn't a quick walk. Not only because the tribe that had the rhinos was on the very edge of the market – for obvious reasons – but because there were a lot of other things to be seen on the way.

"None of the rhinos are for sale," Shuri explained as they walked. They had stopped to buy a sugar coated treat to nibble on the way, and had looked at some pretty glass bottles that a man and his son were blowing and creating at their stand with the hep of an incredibly hot over. "They are just a part of the display. All the tribes are bringing their best and most exotic to show off."

"What are you bringing?" Ned asked, curiously. "Does the royal family have a special crest, or something?"

"We do," she assured him. "But we have something even better in mind, for later."

"What?" Peter asked – equally curious.

She smirked.

"I am afraid I am sworn to secrecy. T'Challa wants it to be a surprise, so it shall be."

Peter and Ned exchanged a look. It must be pretty impressive, then.

"You can tell us," Peter said. "We wouldn't tell anyone."

"I don't even speak the language," Ned added.

The girl's smile was downright joyful.

"You would not want to bring down the wrath of my king, would you?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"I'll tell him I forced you to say," Peter promised.

She looked as if she was considering it, and then looked around, as if to make sure that no one could overhear them – an impossibility in the crowded marketplace. Ned and Peter both leaned forward, expectantly.

"No."

Ned groaned and Peter chuckled. Both boys shook their heads. Typical girl.

"Fine. We'll wait," Peter grumbled, good-naturedly. "But your Christmas present just became a lump of coal."

She frowned.

"Why would you give me a lump of coal…?"

"Because that's what you do with people who annoy you," Ned explained. "They get coal in their stockings."

"That is an odd custom. Coal was a useful fossil fuel. Why would you give it to someone as a punishment?"

"Because you _do_," Peter said. "It's an American thing, I guess. Don't worry about it."

She shook her head, walking along between the two of them. She was adept at research; maybe she'd look the custom up, later.

OOOOOOO

"What do you think?"

"I think it's amazing."

"For you?"

"No. It'd look hideous on me."

Romanoff frowned, looking down at the robe.

"Why?"

"Because it'd clash with my cloak."

"Huh…" she shrugged. "It's very high-quality, though," Natasha pointed out, smiling at the merchant. "Ask him what he wants for it."

They didn't need a translator, since Stephen either knew whatever language was being spoken, or could create a spell to allow him to speak and understand the ones he didn't happen to know.

There was a very long exchange of conversation between the merchant and the magician, and a lot of pointing at Natasha. Finally the man shrugged and said something, muttering under his breath as he handed the robe to Romanoff with a polite bow, but shook his head and waved away her offer of money.

"What am I missing?" she asked as she bowed politely to the merchant, who turned to speak with another shopper now that the pleasantries were complete, unwilling to miss a single opportunity for a sale. "What just happened?"

"He's looking for a wife for his father," Strange told her, tucking her hand into his arm and draping the robe over his shoulder. "He wanted to know if you were available – and if you can cook."

She scowled, looking back at the merchant, but not missing a stride, since Stephen had hold of her hand.

"He wanted to _buy_ me?"

"Of course not. He just wanted to learn if you would make a comparable suitor for his father. Apparently, he's a lonely guy since his wife passed a few years ago. A fiery American wife would be just the thing to pick up his spirits."

"And you said…?"

"That you are very much taken, and that I wouldn't want to have to explain to your boyfriend that you lost your heart to another man while we were visiting his beautiful country."

She rolled her eyes, but his expression was amused, and she could help but be amused, too.

"I suppose I should be flattered," she conceded.

"You should," Stephen agreed. "His family has many goats and they are very wealthy."

"Huh. Maybe I should go back…"

He scowled, but he was still amused and more than willing to be teased by her. Fair was fair, after all.

"You'd make me fight an old man for your affections?"

She pretended to hesitate, and then shrugged, diffidently.

"I suppose not. Let's see what else we can find to buy, shall we? Clint's going to be sorry that he missed all of this."

"We'll find him a souvenir."

OOOOOOO

The market was amazing. Tony wasn't surprised, though. Everything about Wakanda was incredible, and that was on a normal day. A day when all of the tribes were gathered and going full out to impress? Even more amazing, of course. He and Pepper walked through the market hand in hand, stopping everywhere and utilizing a translator to make a dozen small purchases long before lunch time – Wakanda time.

"I wonder how the boys are holding up," Pepper said, admiring a necklace that was made of small, perfectly shaped shells, alternating with perfect pearls. Considering Wakanda was land-locked, it was a treasure in its own right. "Think the long day has caught up with them, yet?"

It was early Wakanda time, but fairly late in New York. Neither teen had wanted to take a nap, however, before heading to Wakanda. Far too excited to admit they could possibly be tired, yet.

"Not yet," Tony said, smiling as he handed over a couple of bills for the necklace and then hung it around Pepper's neck, brushing a loving kiss against her jaw as he did. "But dinner should be interesting."

"I know we promised we'd trust them, but would you have Friday check where they are?" she asked, nodding a farewell to the merchant as Tony led her and their translator off to the next stall. "Just to make sure they aren't doing anything dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Tony echoed, pulling his glasses and putting them on. "Our son wouldn't dream of doing anything dangerous."

"Riiiight."

"Friday? Where are Peter and Ned?" A head up display showed the two boys – and Shuri and the two unobtrusive royal guards – walking along the outer edge of the marketplace. To an area that definitely wasn't selling anything, but had a large crowd of people gathered around, excitedly. "Oh…"

"_Oh_?" Pepper was quick to catch the tone. "What is it?"

"Nothing, Pep. They're just hanging out by the war rhinos, is all."

"What?"

"They're just hanging out there," Tony repeated. "No one's _riding_ one, or anything. They know better."

She didn't look convinced.

OOOOOOO

"Jesus… that's _amazing_."

The man standing at rhino's head smiled at the look of awe in Ned's expression and tone, even though he didn't understand the words. He said something to Shuri, who smiled, politely – but Peter didn't look very certain.

"What did he say?" Ned asked, knowing his friend understood the man just fine.

"He asked if you wanted a ride."

Ned's eyes widened.

"No shit?"

"Yeah. Tony and Pepper aren't going to allow you to, though. You know that, right?"

"We could ask. You never know. They let you."

"They didn't _let_ me," Peter pointed out. "I jumped on before they had a chance to say no."

"I could just pretend I fell onto its back…"

"No." Peter wasn't going to violate the trust Pepper and Tony had put in him. And Ned. "If you want to ride it, you need to ask for permission."

"Awww."

Shuri smirked.

"I would suggest you practice looking especially hopeful," she told the boy. "And maybe do not stand beside the rhino when you ask – it will not look so dangerous, then?"

"Yeah." Ned stepped to the side and pulled his phone. "Wish me luck…"


	192. Chapter 192

"_No."_

"Awww, c'mon, Pepper…" Ned's eyes were as big and hopeful as he could possibly make them. "They're letting little kids ride them, and _their_ moms aren't saying no."

He turned the camera so she could see, and sure enough, a very small boy – maybe six or seven – was scrambling up on the closest beast to the delight of his friends and many of the adults who were watching.

"You aren't _seriously_ using the _everyone else's mom is letting them _argument, are you?"

Ned scowled.

"Shut up, Peter… I'm _working_."

His friend smiled, and leaned against a rail fence that had been erected for the short market period. Not to hold the rhinos in, obviously, but to keep a line between the creatures and those who weren't handlers. Rhinos were very unpredictable at the best of times, after all.

"He's going to have to do better than that if he wants Pepper to say yes," he whispered to Shuri.

"_Let me ask you this,"_ they heard Pepper tell the other boy. _"If you were asking your mother, would _she _say yes?"_

"Of course."

Peter smirked. He couldn't see the screen, but he didn't need to see it to be able to imagine the look on Pepper's face.

"_Really? You think so?"_

Ned's confidence faltered, just a hair.

"Well, probably. I mean, she would see the other people riding it and want me to be happy, right?"

"_You don't think she might hesitate to allow you to ride something so dangerous?"_

"Of course not."

"_Ned…"_

"Maybe." He rolled his eyes. "_Peter_ rode one, and he didn't die."

"_Peter also didn't ask permission and very nearly was grounded because of it. I appreciate that you asked, first, but I'm going to say that your mother wouldn't approve of the risk, and I don't, either."_

"_Not to mention,"_ Tony added, now that he didn't have to be the bad guy. "_You threw up in an _elevator_. Do you really think your stomach would be alright with riding something that moves up and down like that?"_

That made Ned hesitate even more.

"Oh. Yeah."

"_Why don't we start you with something a little less… exotic?"_ Pepper asked. "_And then, we'll see how you handle that and maybe work our way up to rhinos."_

"_Or you wait until you're eighteen and then you don't have to ask permission_," Tony put in. _"You just have to get them to invite you back."_

Ned glanced over at Shuri.

"_You'd_ invite me back, right?"

"Of course."

He gave a mighty sigh.

"Okay. I'll hold off on riding the rhino."

Pepper smiled.

"_Thank you. Are you guys having a good time?"_

"Yeah. It's incredible."

"_Did you eat?"_

"We had some sugar covered sugar things, and a pastry on a stick thing that was pretty good. A-"

"_She means did you have anything healthy to eat,"_ Tony interrupted, as Ned went to stand beside Peter, to make room for the people lining up to ride the rhinos. _"You know, meat? Vegetables? Something a little more filling than carnival food?"_

"We had a thing with rice and chicken," Peter replied, smiling at the two of them. He liked watching them do mom and dad things – even when they weren't doing the parenting toward him. "Did _you_ eat?"

"_We're waiting for T'Challa,"_ Tony replied. "_He's going to treat us to lunch."_

"_I want you boys back at the palace before nightfall_," Pepper said. _"Shuri? You'll make sure they get there?"_

"Of course."

Peter smirked, well aware that Pepper knew she didn't have any control over the princess, but had just made her comply with the demand, simply by making her responsible for him and Ned. It wasn't like they couldn't find their way back, alone, after all.

Although there were a lot of distractions along the way.

"_Need anything?"_ Tony asked them. "_You still have money?"_

"We're good," Peter assured them both. There was nothing at the festival that he could spend that much money on, so quickly, after all. "Love you."

"_I_ love you, too," Ned said, pushing Peter's head out of the way.

"As do I," Shuri assured them, smiling to be part of such a domestic scene.

She loved her brother and her mother, of course, but they were not so open about showing that affection – and it was almost certainly because as a teenaged girl she wasn't always willing to be.

Tony and Pepper both smiled at that.

"_We love you, too. Stay out of trouble."_

The call ended and Ned tucked his phone back into his pocket.

"What do we go look at, next?"

Shuri smiled, and took Peter's hand.

"I know. Let's go."

He didn't even ask, but he had to admit that her smile was just a little more amused than it probably should be – which should have warned him.

OOOOOOOOOO

"What are they doing?"

Both of the palace guards turned at the question, and recognized Steve Rogers, immediately. Captain America was well known in Wakanda, too, after all. They knew the woman he was with by sight, but only had the briefest of her history. Enough to make sure it was safe to allow her inside the palace. They both looked back at the small group of youngsters, most of them half-naked and wearing traditional garb of their tribe, who had been joined by Ned, Peter and even Shuri.

"They are dancing," came the reply.

Carol raised an eyebrow.

"Are you _sure_? I mean, Shuri looks fine, and Ned isn't too off beat, but Peter looks like he's having some kind of episode, or something. No one's been shining a disco ball in their eyes?"

Steve chuckled, watching as a little girl caught Peter's hand, trying to explain – for probably the tenth time – how to do the steps, while several others clapped to the beat of a drum that was playing from the side of the little area. Shuri was also demonstrating, but Peter just wasn't getting it.

"The kid's hopeless," Steve said. "You should have been there when we tried to teach him to dance for his first dance with Pepper."

"I've seen him dance," Carol pointed out.

"You've seen him _slow_ dance," Steve replied. "Try to get him moving at any speed faster than that, and that is the result."

"He is not that bad," the guard said, loyally. "He may catch on, yet."

Steve smiled, but Carol moved away from his side, walking over to the edge of the dance circle, clapping her hands in the same rhythm that the children – and those along the side were using. Peter noticed her, immediately, and smiled a greeting, and Shuri leaned over and said something to one of the little boys, who immediately ran over to take Carol's hand and pull her into the circle. She went to stand between Peter and Ned, and almost instantly caught the footsteps of the dance, and the beat.

She was dancing in time within moments, and Peter was still trying to match the clapping of his hands to the stomping of his feet.

Steve snorted, and pulled out his phone.

The others were definitely going to want to see this.


	193. Chapter 193

They didn't dance for too long.

For one thing, it was hot and the Americans weren't used to the hot African sun. Especially, they weren't used to a lot of physical activity in it. For another, it was also very late – their time – and they were all feeling the difference in the time change before too long. Some feeling it a little more than others. Besides, _Peter_ wasn't good at the dance, and was somewhat self-conscious about that fact.

He was the first of them to step out of the ring of dancers and move to the sidelines, smiling politely at the greetings of those who had been watching, and moving to stand next to Steve, who was still filming the others.

"You're still terrible," Captain America pointed out.

Peter rolled his eyes, good-naturedly.

"I have other talents to fall back on, luckily. Besides, no one ever saved the world in a _dance-off,_ now did they?"

Steve smirked at that, and they watched as some older people joined the children, Shuri, and the two remaining Americans in their dance. Ned had matched his rhythm to Carol, but now they were dancing with a few young women who formed on one side, while a young man about Peter's age sidled up to Shuri with a smile and danced beside her, matching her steps with more grace than Peter could ever hope to.

The princess smiled her approval, and clapped in response to his actions, which – of course – made him redouble his efforts. More joined in the dance as Ned finally bowed out, as well, wiping his face in the hot sun as he walked over to stand by Peter and Steve.

"This is too much exercise in this heat," the boy complained. "I'm ready for a break."

"We can head back anytime," Peter agreed, watching Carol, but always going back to watching the boy that was dancing with Shuri.

He wondered if T'Challa would approve of the young man being so close to his sister. None of the other dancers were so close they were almost touching those beside them, after all, but the guy beside Shuri would occasionally reach out a hand and touch her arm when their dance brought them close enough.

And she didn't seem to mind.

"Why do you look so annoyed?" Carol asked, walking over to Peter who hadn't even realized she'd finished dancing as more people joined in – including even more young men, eager to dance with their princess.

He frowned, turning to her.

"What?"

She smiled, also wiping her face after her exertions.

"You look upset."

"Oh." He shrugged. "I'm not."

"Peter doesn't like it that he can't dance," Ned said, accepting a drink of water from one of the guards. "He thinks he should be able to do anything."

"I can dance," Peter objected. "Just not the fast stuff."

Carol looked at Steve, who was done filming by then.

"You want to try it?"

"Nope. I already know that I can't dance, either."

She looked at Peter, but the boy had turned his attention back to Shuri and the young men all dancing around her. Danvers smiled, knowingly, and put her hand on Peter's shoulder.

"We're going to go find something else to do. Are you guys okay?"

Peter nodded, forcing himself to give her his attention.

"Yeah. We'll be heading to the palace soon. Tony and Pepper wanted us back by dark."

"Stay out of trouble," Steve said, taking Carol's hand and leading her through the crowd.

Peter turned back toward the dancers, and Carol hooked her arm through Steve's.

"What's the protocol for dating an African princess?" she asked.

"What?"

"Are there any rules?" Danvers clarified. "Do you have to be a prince?"

"I don't know." He hadn't given it any thought. He only knew one African princess, after all, and she was much too young for him. "You'd probably need to ask T'Challa. Or Ramonda would probably know. Why?"

"Just asking for a friend."

OOOOOOOO

"Steve and Carol left?"

Ned nodded, handing Shuri a cool cloth to wipe her face.

"A little bit ago. You were really good out there."

The princess smiled.

"Thank you. You were, as well." She glanced at Peter, misinterpreting his moody countenance. "You were getting better, Peter."

He nodded with a shrug.

"Thanks. Are you ready to go back? Or is there something else you'd like to do, today?"

They had most of the next day to explore the markets, as well, after all.

"No. You two must be dragging. I am ready." She put an arm through both boys', and turned them toward the palace, which was still a ways off and with the distractions it would be very close to dark by the time they returned. "We will have to ask the organizers what else there is to see," she said, cheerfully. "So we know where to look, tomorrow."

"We should find the Jabari," Ned suggested. "I'd like to see Azoru, and maybe find another wooden carving. Or one of those shirts like Peter got when he was here for Tony and Pepper's honeymoon."

Shuri looked at Peter to see if he agreed with the plan, but he wasn't paying attention.

"Peter?"

He started, looking at her, and his grip on her arm tightened, slightly.

"What?"

"Are you alright?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"What are you thinking of?" she asked, curiously.

He had been in such a good mood, but now it seemed he was preoccupied – by something that troubled him.

Peter shook his head.

"Nothing important. I'm just getting tired, is all."

"We were talking about finding the Jabari, tomorrow," Ned said, rolling his eyes at having to repeat himself. "I want to see if I can find another wood carving and maybe a wool shirt."

"And _Azoru_," Shuri added. "He is coming to the formal dinner, tomorrow night, but it would be good to see him before then. Perhaps he can show us around his tribe's market area."

"Yeah. That sounds good."

Peter didn't say anything else, but Ned and Shuri chatted as they walked through the market about all of the specialists and master craftspeople that the Jabari had brought – as well as the art, foods and materials that they were passing as they walked.

OOOOOO

"There they are."

Tony looked up as the teens walked into the room. Ned and Shuri were grinning, cheerfully, but he noticed, immediately, that Peter seemed subdued. The boy smiled, though, when Shuri stopped to greet her mother and brother, while he and Ned continued to the other side of the room where Tony and Pepper were talking to a couple of palace officials and two tribal leaders – including one that Peter recognized, immediately.

"M'Baku," he said, nodding a greeting as soon as he was close enough to be polite. "How are you?"

"I am well enough, Peter," the Jabari leader assured him. "And you? Your parents tell me you are well healed."

"Yeah, I'm good." Peter raised his hand for proof. "You remember my friend, Ned?"

"I do." The other teen received a nod, as well. "I would stay and converse with you, but I have much to plan for tomorrow's ceremony."

"Anything I can help you with?" Peter asked, hoping to get an idea of what was happening, since Shuri hadn't been willing to tell.

"I appreciate the offer, but no."

The Jabari nodded a farewell to Tony and Pepper, and then walked away, stopping long enough to exchange a few words with T'Challa and Ramonda before he left. Pepper and Tony turned to the two boys.

"Did you have a good time?" she asked them.

Ned nodded, enthusiastically.

"We did. There were all kinds of things to see and do – besides the rhinos, I mean."

"Which you didn't ride once we got off the phone, right?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. Of course not. I wouldn't do that." He went on to tell them about the things that they'd seen, and showed them a few little souvenirs that he'd picked up – mostly for his mother, but for MJ and a few of his friends at school, as well. "And then there was this group of dancers. We stopped and gave Peter a chance to make a fool of himself in front of them, and we saw Steve and Carol, there."

"Did you see Stephen and Natasha?" Pepper asked.

"No."

Peter shook his head, as well.

"Not since a lot earlier."

"Are you alright?" Tony asked, deciding that he didn't look as cheerful as Ned – of course, not many did, really.

"Yeah. Just too much sun, probably. I'm a little tired."

"There's nothing going on tonight," Pepper told him. She knew, because _she_ was tired, too. "You could turn in early – after dinner – and get some rest."

"I think I might."

"I don't have to, though, right?" Ned asked. He wasn't tired, yet, but he and Peter were sharing a room rather than staying in the suite with Tony and Pepper. "I was hoping to look around a bit. Maybe see if Shuri will show me her workroom, again."

"No." Tony glanced at Peter, but turned his attention to Ned. "Just don't stay up too late. I don't want you to be a zombie, tomorrow."

"Yeah. I won't be."

Before Tony could say anything else to either boy, dinner was announced and everyone in the room headed toward the next room.


	194. Chapter 194

There was no way the dinner was going to be a private one. Not with so many tribes converged and so many tribal leaders available to talk to their king and to each other. It was an opportunity that wasn't to be wasted, really.

Nor was the rare chance for many of the sons of those nobles to have a chance to gain the attention of the princess.

Peter was seated at the high table. It was his weekend, technically, so of course he was. Not surprisingly, Tony and Pepper were as well – of course – given their status, and Ned was by default. With Ned on his right and Tony on his left Peter had good company, but he also had a good view of the steady flow of young noblemen who were clearly paying court to Shuri. Complimenting her, flattering her and touching her hand with each polite greeting, the young men were all muscular and well-built and wearing their tribal best in an effort to impress.

He toyed with his food, despite the fact that it was excellent, and cast sidelong glances toward the other side of the table. She didn't seem to be annoyed by the attention. Shuri was smiling, cheerfully, responding to each word of greeting, or flattery, and even small presents that some of the wealthier were offering her. She was attentive and lively, and Peter found that he'd echo her smile when she smiled, only to scowl a moment later when he realized what he was doing.

"Are you alright?"

The boy was so startled he actually dropped his fork with a clatter, and he blushed when he looked over at Tony, even as he reached down to pick it up. It was replaced, immediately, with another by a helpful palace servant.

"Yeah."

"You _sure_?" Stark hadn't missed the lack of appetite, even though he and Pepper were in an interesting conversation with Ramonda, who was also paying close attention to the suitors and their mostly clumsy efforts to gain her daughter's attention. "You look upset."

"No. I'm okay. Sorry."

Tony didn't look convinced, but to his credit, he didn't even reach for Peter's forehead to check for fever, taking his word for it.

"Eat something, alright? Then get some sleep."

"I will."

He didn't, though. Instead, he turned his focus back to Shuri, trying to decide if she was really enjoying all the attention, or just being polite. She was a princess, after all, and had to be polite. If Peter had his way, they'd all just go find someone else to pester. Like any of them would be a good match for her? She was too great for some stupid jock – even if he was nobility. That didn't really mean that much.

"_Careful…"_ Alec warn, his tone a mixture of amused and an undercurrent of concerned. _"It's fine to be jealous – a little – but your dark thoughts could lead to something more sinister."_

Peter dropped his fork, again.

"_What? I'm not jealous."_

Tony wasn't the only one to look at him, this time, and Ned actually snorted in amusement, leaning over and picking up the fork and handing it to the palace servant, who politely exchanged it – again. Peter took it with an embarrassed thank you, and an exasperated smile, which made the servant smile, too.

"Sorry."

The young woman bowed, her eyes amused, and brushed her hand against his, reassuringly, before she left to take the soiled fork back to the kitchens.

"They're going to run out of cutlery," Ned told his friend, also amused. "Do your Spiderman trick and try to hold onto _this_ one, okay?"

"Yeah." He glanced over at Tony, apologetically, and received a worried frown from his adoptive father – _and_ mother – and rolled his eyes, affecting good-natured annoyance with himself. "I'm fine."

"_Ignore it,"_ Alec told him. "_They're posturing. It's expected from them in their society."_

"_So they're not really interested in her?"_

How could they _not_ be? Shuri was brilliant. And amazing.

"_Of course they are. Absolutely. If she favors one more than another, that one will be invited back here, to any and all functions where he might have another opportunity to spend time with her to court her. He will bring gifts, and will do everything that he can to impress her and gain her approval."_

"_That's a stupid way to do things."_

Alec was amused, and didn't bother to hide it.

"_They're all wasting their time. They just don't know it."_

"_Oh?"_

"_She's already made her choice."_

The fork went clattering to the floor.

"_What_?"

This was spoken aloud – although, luckily for Peter, it was more of a hiss than anything, and only Tony and Ned heard him over all of the other conversations that were going on around the table and at the other ones. Peter blushed, brilliantly, and reached for the fork, but waved the ever-present servant away with a shake of his head as he set it on the table. He wasn't hungry, and there wasn't any reason for them to have to keep trading the thing out just because he couldn't pay attention to what he was doing.

"_Jesus_, Peter," Ned whispered, before Tony could say anything from the other side. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just distracted."

Tony had his hand on the back of Peter's chair, now, and he leaned over, as well.

"Are you and Alec talking about something we need to know about?" he asked his son, softly. "Do we need to excuse ourselves?"

Proving he'd figured out for himself what had the boy so distracted – although that didn't mean all was well with Peter's world, of course. They could be discussing the end of the universe, or the scores from the football game the evening before. Which was the whole point of asking.

Peter shook his head.

"No. It's not important."

Only to him.

Tony didn't look completely convinced, but he nodded, and now he did brush his hand along the boy's forehead, but it was accompanied by a smile that was filled with love and affection.

"Can you finish it, later?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Don't be." Christ only knew how distracting it had to be for Peter to have a voice in his head all the time. Tony dealt with Friday in his ear when he was Ironman – and at a few other times – so he had an idea of how it could feel. And he was a _lot_ more used to it than his sixteen-year-old son. "How do you feel? Health-wise, that is? Hand okay? Head?"

"Yeah. No. I'm okay." It was a convenient excuse, however, for his clumsiness. "Just a little numb, maybe."

He held up his right hand, but wiggled all the fingers, easily, to reassure.

It worked, too, because Tony nodded, ruffled his hair, lightly, and turned back to Pepper to tell her what he knew and try to get the concern out of _her_ expression, too.

"Hand hurts?" Ned asked.

"Only a little," Peter replied. "I'm good."

"Well, stay away from the soup," his friend told him. "I don't want you spilling it all over me."

"Yeah."

Peter turned his attention inward, but Alec was quiet, now, clearly not willing to finish their conversation and distract him. The boy suppressed a sigh of annoyance and started watching Shuri, again, and checking out each of the young men as they approached, wondering which one of them she'd chosen.

OOOOOO

"Is he alright?"

Pepper and Ramonda were both looking his way, and Tony nodded with a wry smile.

"He's fine. A little distracted by trying to get his hand to cooperate."

"Is it hurting him?" Ramonda asked, solicitously. "We have healers here…"

"No," the billionaire assured her. "It's a bit numb, is all. He's doing _very_ well. Just the finer things like utensils can be a bit daunting, at times. He'll probably stick to bread and finger foods, now."

Pepper smiled, glancing over at Peter who was talking to Ned, but also looking across the table toward Shuri. Probably, she decided, he'd rather be sitting between _her_ and Ned rather than stuck with his parents. As if he felt her eyes on him, however, he turned her way, and smiled when he saw her watching him. He held up his hand, as if to apologize for the distraction and blushed when she blew him a kiss in response.

Pleased that she'd made her boy smile, Pepper turned back to the conversation they'd been having, and to the meal – which was delicious. She'd check in with him before he went to bed – just to be sure that he was fine.


	195. Chapter 195

He managed to make it through the remainder of the meal without drawing further attention to himself.

The time after the meal was one for less formal socializing, and mingling, but Tony wasn't quite ready to release his son to anyone else, just yet. As Ned went over to talk to Shuri and a few of the other people is age, Tony made a motion with his head, clearly asking Peter for a minute, alone, and walked with him toward a corner that was a little more private.

"Everything okay?" he asked, watching as the efficient servants began removing the tables and making space for the guests to chat.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that."

"The hand isn't bothering you?"

"No."

"And you'd tell me if it was?"

Peter nodded.

"Yeah. No. It's okay. Really."

Tony took him at his word.

"Need anything?"

"No. I'm good. I'm going to make my rounds and then I think I'll call it a night."

He was beat, and wondered why Ned wasn't just as tired.

"_Because he took a nap during study period,"_ Alec told him. _"And the others all took naps before they came, earlier. You were the only one who didn't."_

"_I was too excited."_

Alec was amused.

"_I know. Make your rounds and get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day."_

"_Wait. We're not done with our conversation, yet."_

"_Tony's waiting,"_ the ancient sorcerer reminded him, and then fell silent in the back of Peter's mind as the boy looked around the room, once and then back at Tony.

"We'll come check on you before we go to bed," the billionaire told him. "Just to make sure you're asleep and not playing video games."

"And because you love me and you worry about me."

"What? _No_. Who are you, again?"

Peter chuckled, and Tony caught him in a rough hug.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm going to go report to mom."

"Tell her I'm fine."

"That's the plan."

Peter turned and headed for Ned, while Tony walked the opposite direction and went to where T'Challa and Pepper were speaking with Steve and Carol, who had joined them, just in time to miss dinner, but not happy hour.

OOOOO

Shuri smiled at Peter when he walked up to her and Ned, and introduced him to the young men who were gathered around. They all knew who he was, of course – he was the reason for the gathering, in the first place, after all – and Peter could see the speculation in their eyes as he was told each one's name. The young men – and most were a year or two older than he was, with the tattoos that signified they'd passed their manhood rituals – offered him the ceremonial handshake so common in Wakanda when differing tribes met.

"What is it like to live with the Avengers?" one asked, curiously, glancing over at where Tony was standing by Pepper and T'Challa.

"It's great."

"It's better than that," Ned said, grinning. He'd already been introduced to the other boys and had fielded questions about Peter and his relationship with Tony and the others. Heroes so famous that even tribal noblemen in Africa knew their names. "Thor came to Tony's wedding. And Black Widow and Captain America are teaching me hand to hand – and taught Peter. He's amazing."

Which amped up the speculative looks. Luckily, some of those same young men had been present when Peter had taken on Okoye, many months before, so they didn't doubt Ned's claim and didn't ask for proof.

"Peter is also fluent in many Wakandan languages," Shuri added, resting her hand lightly on her friend's arm.

Which earned him more looks. He didn't mind, though. Not even when a few of the others tried to test him with their own very obscure dialects. They'd ask him something and he'd reply in the same language, which impressed them all, of course. Not that Peter really had anything to do with the ability, but he couldn't tell them about the Mind stone, so he just shrugged off the impressed looks with polite appreciation. Not surprisingly, since they all knew who he was and why he was there, they started showing off, almost naturally, to impress upon him (and Shuri, of course) just how much better one was than the other.

It was beginning to get just a little rowdy – especially when a few others who were several years older than Peter and Shuri arrived and began shouldering the younger ones aside to afford themselves the chance to get better acquainted with their princess as well as their guests. Peter started feeling edgy, and wasn't sure if it was his spider senses telling him things could go bad, quickly, with this stiff-necked group of young men or if it was just his plain old common sense.

Either way, he stayed between Shuri and Ned, keeping an eye on those around him. Which put him right in the mix when two noble sons of the same tribe – cousins who had always been competing between themselves for their entire lives and maybe had imbibed in a bit too much wine that evening – began to snipe at each other about an argument that had started at the market, much, much earlier. They weren't loud, but the low voiced berating was even worse, and even Ned – which didn't know what they were saying since they had switched to their own tribal dialect – fell silent, and looked over toward Tony and T'Challa, clearly wondering if he should call for help.

Instead, it was Peter who took the few steps forward to place himself right between the two – both of them towering over him and outweighing him by plenty.

OOOOOOOO

"You're not worried about having so many young men around your sister?" Pepper asked T'Challa, looking over at the small cluster of boys who were all gathered around Shuri. The Wakandan princess was clearly enjoying the attention, but there were more gathering every few minutes – including Peter, now. "That's a lot of hormones in one little spot."

"And surrounding one little girl," Tony added.

"He is watching her much more closely than he seems to be," Ramonda assured them before T'Challa could say anything. "But the tribes do not gather like this more than once a generation, at times, so it is customary to give those who might normally have a chance the opportunity to attempt to impress Shuri."

"Do any of them have a chance?" Steve asked, curiously, also looking at the crowd of boys.

"Probably not," T'Challa replied. "While many of them are very fine young men, very few will impress her. She will be polite about it, but my sister is too intelligent to be willing to spend time with someone who is only interesting because of their bloodlines. They can preen all night, though, as long as they stay out of trouble."

"Speaking of…" Tony muttered, noticing the posturing of the two men who were standing much too close to Peter and Ned for Tony's comfort. He couldn't hear what they were saying – and they weren't looking at Peter or Shuri, instead facing off against each other, it appeared – but he had no trouble reading the body language even from a distance. "Maybe we should take a stroll that direction…"

T'Challa clearly read the same signs and nodded – and several of the royal guards were starting to look that way, as well.

"Yes. Maybe it is time to call an end to the evening," the young king said, taking a step toward his sister and then stopping when he saw Peter move his slight frame between the two men.

They both scowled down at him, but once he made certain he had their attention, Peter spoke to them – and T'Challa was too far away to hear what he said. The entire group of young men and boys froze at the softly uttered words, and Shuri stared. Didn't say anything, though. He was watching both men, his attention only for them, just then.

The one on the right nodded, and looked at the one on Peter's left – who also nodded. As T'Challa watched, Peter offered his arm to Shuri, who smiled, demurely, and accepted it, gesturing for Ned to follow them, as well. The pack of boys and men watched them go, but the three didn't look back as they walked out of the room, heading for one of the balconies.

T'Challa waved over the guard who had been closest, rather than walk over himself and make the scene something more than it needed to be by bringing the royal presence to bear.

The guard saluted, smirking.

"What did he say?"

He didn't need to specify who he was referring to, and the guard's smile broadened.

"He reminded them both that the weekend was _his_ celebration and that if either of them started a brawl and ruined it – and brought dishonor to their families on his day, he'd own their lands, their goats and would have them both gelded."

Tony snorted.

"I bet _that_ got their attention."

T'Challa's smile was approving.

"It would be within his rights," the young king pointed out.

"And they know it," Ramonda added. "That was probably the best threat he could have used to diffuse the situation."

"I will have to thank him, later," T'Challa said. "A scuffle would have been a bad omen."

"You don't have to thank him," Pepper replied. "I imagine he was just making sure he didn't have to deal with any more honor issues."

Tony nodded his agreement

"We don't have room for any more carvings – and we're not bringing a bunch of goats home."


	196. Chapter 196

"What did you say to them, Peter?" Ned asked, curiously, as soon as they were away from the crowd and on the balcony. "That was pretty _badass_."

Peter smiled, sheepishly, but it was Shuri who replied. She repeated the dire threat verbatim and smiled, as well.

"It was perfect, really, because you would have every right to do just that – although I have never heard anyone threaten to do so, before."

"I just didn't want them to cause any trouble. It would have ruined the night."

"You were amazing," she assured him.

"Should have done it sooner," Ned told him. "They were all being pretty pushy…"

Shuri smiled.

"It is a very rare chance for so many young noblemen to get together. They are using the opportunity to try and impress me."

"I didn't like it," Ned said.

"I didn't, either," Peter agreed.

The princess' smile broadened as she looked at the two boys.

"You were _jealous_."

Ned rolled his eyes.

"No. Of course not," he scoffed. "But you're a _princess_. Not some bag of beans for them to squabble over."

Shuri's giggle made Peter smile, and she touched Ned's arm.

"I will bear that in mind. Thank you." Then she looked at Peter, expectantly. "Were _you_ jealous?"

Peter shook his head, automatically, but he remembered his conversation with Alec and wondered if he really _had_ been. It wasn't an emotion that he was really all that familiar with, so not one that he could recognize in himself.

"What? No. Of course I wasn't." he tried to affect nonchalance, but he didn't really feel it. "I don't need to be, right?" he added. "I already have your promise to marry me if no one else catches your eye."

Shuri shrugged, her eyes amused, but another expression there, as well, that Peter didn't understand.

"That is true. However, we may want to move up the time frame. I would not want to become an old maid waiting for you."

"You guys made a marriage pact?" Ned asked, grinning.

Peter nodded, rolling his eyes but in a much better mood, now, than he had been all evening.

"We did. If Shuri doesn't get married by the time she's thirty, she has to marry me."

"You should make it younger than that," Ned said to his friend, looking at Shuri, suddenly speculatively. "I mean, she's a princess, right? They can't wait that long to get married."

"How long do we wait?" Shuri asked, curiously. "And when did _you_ become an expert on royalty and their relationships?"

"I see the news, and watched all about Harry and Meghan."

Peter rolled his eyes, again.

"This is Wakanda."

"Same thing. Probably ought to not wait too long. Twenty-five. Plus, you have to do the whole dating thing, and the engagement once the question gets popped."

Shuri caught Peter's hand as they listened to Ned rattle off all kinds of timelines and the various things that would have to be recognized in order for them to have a wedding. And then he shrugged, looking at them.,

"Of course, that's only if Peter doesn't find a girl, and decide to get married, first, though, right? I mean, if he gets married, then the pact is off?"

Shuri lost her smile, but Peter was watching Ned, trying to figure out how the conversation had moved to him getting married, when he was still trying to figure out whether he'd been jealous, or not. Then he shrugged; he was enjoying the conversation, because she was – and he knew Ned was.

"Shuri's a pretty good catch. I'll probably hold out and wait and see if I can get lucky."

"A Wakandan princess may only marry a nobleman," Shuri told them both, squeezing Peter's hand, lightly. "It is the law."

"Pffft." Ned didn't look concerned. "The king makes the law, and your brother's the king. If you want to marry Peter, you could make him change the law."

She looked at Peter speculatively, and he shook his head with a smile.

"If you two are finished changing the course of Wakandan society just so I can avoid growing old alone, I'm going to go to bed."

"We can carry on without you," Ned told him, smirking. Then he straightened a little and ran his hand along his jaw in an imitation of Tony that was a good one – and only one that someone who spent a lot of time with the billionaire could pull off. "Go to bed, son. You look tired and I don't want you to be a zombie in the morning."

"Yes, dad." Peter was still smiling when he turned to Shuri. "Good night, my dear princess," he said with a formal bow as he kissed her hand, lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Her eyes sparkled with humor.

"Good night, my love."

Peter turned to Ned.

"Keep an eye on her, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure. Goodnight."

They both watched as Peter left to go find the others and say goodnight to them, and then Ned looked at Shuri – and his expression was a little sly.

"You two make a cute couple…"

She smiled.

"Because we are cute."

Ned nodded, and then switched the topic to the events of the next day. It wasn't as much fun to tease Peter when he wasn't there, after all.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Tony was still standing near T'Challa when Peter walked into the room, now alone. His appearance didn't go unnoticed, of course – not the fact that he wasn't with Shuri. It was a sign that maybe there had been a little intimidation when none of the boys who were still in the room went toward the balcony to have another go at impressing him.

Peter greeted anyone that spoke to him as he crossed the room, but he was clearly heading for Tony and T'Challa and looked around when he arrived beside them.

"Mom was invited to go look at some new artwork with Ramonda," Tony told him, well aware who he was looking for. "She said if she missed you that I'm to tell you she loves you. Steve and Carol went with them. Natasha and Stephen haven't made an appearance, yet, this evening and are probably out running amok among the marketplace."

T'Challa was clearly amused.

"Shuri is with Ned?" he asked the boy.

"On the balcony planning my future, yes."

"Do I even want to know?" Tony asked.

"Probably not." He smiled to make sure the man knew he wasn't stressed and had only been joking. "I'm going to go to bed."

"Need anything?"

"No. But if I _do_, I know how to get in touch with you," he added before Stark could.

Tony ruffled his hair, affectionately, but didn't hug him. Not with so many people huis own age in the room. There was a time to embarrass him and a time to play it cool – even though he wanted to.

"We'll see you at breakfast – in our suite."

"Okay." Peter turned to T'Challa. "I'm sorry I threatened those two men. It was probably a little extreme."

"It was efficient. And you were well within your right to do so." Proving to the boy that he'd been told what had been said. "Besides, it stopped them from arguing and kept me from being forced to make an official scene out of it. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He turned and left, then, and T'Challa glanced toward the door that led to the balcony, noticing that Ned and Shuri were making their own entrance, now. Several of the boys remaining in the room started converging on them, but the King of Wakanda wasn't about to risk another possible spectacle that evening.

"Come, Tony," he said to his friend. "I feel the need to stand near my sister and scowl at her many suitors. Perhaps you would care to join me?"

Stark smirked.

"I could be convinced."


	197. Chapter 197

"Where's Ned?"

Peter smiled, leaning over to hug Pepper good morning before he sat down at the table in the suite that Pepper and Tony had to themselves, this time.

"He's still in bed."

"Had trouble waking up this morning?" Tony asked, also smiling a greeting to his son as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah."

Of course, _Peter_ did, too, and he'd gone to bed much earlier than Ned had – although he'd woken when the other boy came into the room the night before. Ned had had a pretty good time, he told Peter, still pretty stoked about his evening. Apparently after Peter had left, Tony and T'Challa had both hung out near Shuri – and Ned had been smirking when he told Peter about all of the looks the king of Wakanda gave every noble son of any tribe when they moved closer to Shuri than he liked.

"I was the exception," Ned had told Peter, smugly, as he'd changed for bed. "And Shuri didn't seem to be enjoying the attention as much, so she was holding onto my arm while we hung out with the others and talked about what the activities are for tomorrow."

"What are they?" Peter had asked, having some idea of the fact that the evening would culminate with a ceremony he had to attend, but beyond that having heard very little. "Anything we didn't already know?"

Ned, of course, knew everything that Peter had known.

"Nothing you didn't already mention. She wants to do some shopping – something about her mom's birthday coming up and wanting to see if the Jabari have anything interesting she might buy."

"Sounds good."

"This ceremony sounds like it's going to be a snoozer," Ned had complained. "Just a lot of nobles telling you how great you are, or something."

Peter grinned.

"And we already know how great I am. No sense wasting an entire night hearing all about it."

His friend rolled his eyes, amused, since Peter never really put himself forward. Not like _Ned_ would, if he could do all the crazy cool things Peter could, so he knew the boasting wasn't sincere.

"Exactly my thoughts." He'd seated himself on the edge of Peter's bed, and his expression turned a little speculative – and maybe a little _sly_. "You're not very _smart_, though. You know that, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You should totally ask Shuri out."

Peter was tired, and had just woken up. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't keeping up with the conversation.

"Ask her out, where?"

"Not a _where_, Peter," Ned had rolled his eyes and graced his friend with one of his patented _how dumb can you be _looks. "Ask her to be your girlfriend."

"What? I can't do that."

"Why not? The noble thing? You're not some bum off the street, even if you're not really nobility. You guys are really a good couple if you think about it. She's smarter than hell, and so are you, and you _already_ get along."

"What about _MJ_?"

"She'd probably agree with me."

Peter had his doubts. He shook his head; he was really too groggy to have that particular conversation, just then.

"Maybe."

"You should ask her."

"MJ?"

Another scornful look.

"_Shuri_. Jesus, Peter, I don't know why I try to talk to you when you're half asleep." It was good-natured, though, and Ned was smiling when he stood up. "Think about it, okay?"

"She'd probably laugh at me if I brought it up," Peter said.

"Won't know if you don't try. Just remember that it was my idea…" he paused as he sat down on his bed. "Unless it turns out _bad_. Then I didn't have anything to do with it."

Peter threw his pillow at him and Ned laughed and turned out the lights then climbed under the blankets.

Ned was snoring long before Peter was able to get back to sleep, though.

OOOOOOOO

"_You_ look tired, too," Pepper pointed out, looking him over.

Peter didn't mind; he was used to her and Tony – and pretty much everyone else – checking in on his health.

"I _am_, a little," he admitted. "I'm glad I went to bed early, or I'd _really_ be dragging."

"T'Challa said there'll be some time, later, for you to nap," Tony told him with a smirk. "Something about not wanting the guest of honor to fall asleep in the middle of the ceremony, just because he's too dumb to sleep."

"He didn't _say_ that," Peter replied, smiling.

"Not in so many words… I was _paraphrasing_." He looked at his watch. "I'm going to go rouse Ned and get breakfast sent up to us. If the others show up and want to go wandering off to the market or something, tell them to be in the main throne room by 8pm."

"We will," Pepper assured him. She offered her cheek to him for a kiss and he left, and she turned her attention back to her son. "How did you sleep?"

"Okay. Ned woke me up when he came in, and I had trouble getting back to sleep."

"You woke up in your bed, this morning?"

They didn't have Friday wired in to the palace's systems, so they only had some observation capabilities. You didn't spy on palaces that belonged to allies, after all.

Peter nodded, fiddling with a fork that was on the place setting in front of him.

"Yes. I'm not stressing, or anything. Not _really_."

Which told her that he _was_, though.

"Anything bothering you?" she asked. "You didn't lose your money in some _gambling_ den, yesterday, and you're just afraid to tell us?"

The boy smiled.

"No. Nothing like that." He hesitated, and looked at the fork for a long moment, while she waited him out, patiently. Finally he looked up at her. "Can I ask you something…? But you can't tease me? Or maybe tell anyone else…?"

She smiled, gently.

"Of course."

"Say… hypothetically… that you broke up with someone that you're pretty sure was your girlfriend – or boyfriend – even though you never really called it that, officially…"

"Yes…?"

"How long are you supposed to wait to try, again?"

"With the same person?" she asked.

"No. I mean with someone else. What if someone told you – someone who you knew was a lot smarter than you were, and a lot better judge of the people around you – what if that someone told you that you should ask someone _else_ out, instead? Is there a rule about how long you should wait…?"

She forced herself not to smile. He looked so awkward.

"Are you thinking about asking someone else out?"

"I didn't say it was _me_," he pointed out.

"Right. Sorry."

"But, if it _was_ me…" he added. "How long do you think I should wait to see if this other person is interested in being my girlfriend? Is there a set time?"

"No. It depends on you," Pepper replied. "And on this other person."

"Oh."

"Is this other person someone I know?" she asked, unable to help herself as she racked her mind trying to think of any girls that he could be interested in. The ones his own age were all just friends, though, as near as she knew. "_Hypothetically_, that is?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "I was thinking… I mean, Ned said that… well… _he_ thought that maybe Shuri and I could make a decent couple. I mean, I know she's a _princess_, and I'm not talking about _marrying_ her, or anything, but I like her – and I think she likes me. We get along pretty good, anyway."

"Pretty _well_," Pepper corrected, automatically, somewhat surprised. "Shuri, huh?"

Peter shrugged, blushing, now.

"You can't tell anyone."

"I won't."

"Especially T'Challa – or _Tony_. Or Steve… or Natasha. Or _Shuri_. And not-"

"I won't tell anyone," Pepper promised, smiling. "Ned brought it up?"

"Yeah. He was talking about it. We-"

The door opened, though, interrupting Peter's explanation, and Tony and Ned walked in.

"Look who I found just down the hall," Stark said, walking into the main room of the suite with Ned beside him, looking sleepy but awake enough to hold a conversation. "Breakfast is on the way, too."

Peter looked at Pepper, and his eyes were just a little concerned, but she winked at him, reassuring him that his secret was safe with her.

At least for a little while.

It was pretty juicy gossip, after all, and she'd have to check to parent handbook and see if this was something that mom and dad were both supposed to know.


	198. Chapter 198

After breakfast, Peter and Ned went back out into the market – once more with Shuri. This time, however, they had a specific goal in mind, and Shuri led them through the bustle to the outer edge on the west side of the plain. This was where the Jabari were placed, and while it was further away, there were many other tribesmen and women who were heading the same direction, drawn there by the superior craftsmanship of their artisans and woodworkers.

Peter and Ned were going there to see if Azoru was around – or even M'Baku. Both would be at the ceremony that evening, Shuri assured them, but that was going to be a formal setting and they were hoping to just hang out with Azoru and see how he'd been. People recognized Shuri as they walked, like they had the day before, and children would run up to say hello or offer her small tokens of their esteem. Usually flowers, or a piece of fruit. She took it all graciously, with a smile that made whatever child it was feel as if he or she was the most special person in the country, just then.

Peter and Ned watched with enjoyment, and were definitely impressed.

"She really _is_ a princess," Ned said, softly, to his friend as they watched a little girl run up to Shuri and shyly hand over a small brightly colored rock.

"You doubted?"

"Well, she doesn't exactly act like one. It's easy to forget..."

Peter smiled.

"It's probably a relief not to have to, if you think about it."

He watched, though, smiling, while Shuri hugged the little girl before sending her back to her mother, who greeted her, politely. She _was_ a princess, there was no doubt, and way too good for the likes of him. Peter knew he had a lot of skills, and with his association to Tony and the Avengers, he wasn't a bum off the street, like Ned had pointed out. But he wasn't a prince, either, now was he? He was probably out of his mind thinking that she'd be interested in being his girlfriend, not to mention the entire country would probably rise up in revolt if he actually asked and she said yes.

She-

_"Peter!"_

He was brought out of his misgivings by his name being called with a definite Wakandan accent. The boy turned just in time to see a pair of young children running up to him, and he recognized them as Jad's grandchildren. The two that he'd met in the lodge the night they'd stayed with the mountain Jabari tribe. Both children threw themselves at him, excitedly, and he swung them up into his arms, grinning at them.

How could anyone not be cheerful with such an enthusiastic greeting?

Before he could do more than look over at Ned to tell him who they were, the three found themselves surrounded by happy children and adolescents. Peter didn't remember everyone's names, but luckily he didn't _need_ to. Alec supplied them as he introduced each of them to Ned, as well as to Shuri, and he pointed out to the youngsters that Ned was his best friend, but he didn't speak their language, so they had to try and help him as much as they could.

He bestowed noisy kisses to the two small children he was holding before he set them on the ground, and turned to greet their grandfather – who he then introduced to Ned, and Shuri – in case she didn't know him, which presumably she didn't.

"Jad's tribe are Jabari," Peter told Ned, smiling. "His son is the woodcarver who made the carvings I commissioned."

"The ones that cost you all the goats," Ned said with a smile, offering the man his hand for a Wakandan handshake.

"Yeah."

The Jabari leader turned to Shuri with a formal bow.

"Princess? May I offer you a place to sit out of the sun for a while? And some refreshments?"

"That would be pleasant," she agreed, politely – and smiling to see how cheerful Peter was. She understood how he could feel left out, since he was in a land where he knew very few people, aside from the nobles that he'd met before and had spent the last two days in the markets filled with strangers. Now he knew someone, and she didn't want to draw him away from them any sooner than necessary. Besides, walking in the heat was thirsty work. "The sun is very warm, today."

"Indeed, it is."

Jad beckoned for Peter and Ned to follow and he led all three teens to a tent that was very similar to the one back at his home village. Which wasn't that surprising. As they walked, he asked Peter about his parents and asked Shuri about her brother and her mother. Some of the children ran ahead, yelling happily, and by the time they arrived at the tent, the elders of the village were waiting.

They greeted Peter, cheerfully, and Shuri respectfully, and were all introduced to Ned, who quickly charmed them all with his good-nature – even though he didn't speak their language, and only a few of them spoke his. The three teens never got around to looking for Azoru, deciding instead to spend the rest of their morning and early afternoon with the mountain tribe and the friendly people who were more than happy to have such august guests to host.

OOOOOOOOO

"You're not worried about them?"

Tony shook his head.

"No. They're responsible, and mature, and they've proven they can be given a little bit longer leash."

Pepper smiled at Natasha and Stephen, who had joined them just after the teens had left for the morning's excursion to the Jabari controlled areas of the marketplace.

"Not to mention, they're being trailed by a couple of the royal guard," she added. "If anything happens, T'Challa will know, and then we'll know."

"Presuming that _Peter_ didn't call and let us know, anyway," Tony pointed out.

"Where are they, now?" Strange asked, curiously, presuming that Stark was keeping track, somehow.

What was the use of having the best tech in the world, in a country surrounded by more of the best tech in the world, if you couldn't use it to spy on your teenager, after all?

"In the marketplace, looking for Azoru and M'Baku."

"What have you two been up to?" Pepper asked, noticing that Natasha was wearing a necklace made entirely of very tiny shells, alternating with semi precious stones. "Staying out of trouble?"

Stephen smirked, amused.

"Yes, mother."

Natasha smiled, as well.

"We've been doing a lot of shopping," she replied. "And I came _this close_ to convincing him to ride a battle rhino, yesterday afternoon."

Tony looked at his friend.

"Did you?"

"I'm smarter than that, Tony. I thought you had that figured out, by now. I pointed out that if I fell off and landed on my head, the rest of you would be walking home."

"You make a fair point."

The magician nodded, looking pleased with himself.

"I thought so, as well."

"What's the plan for this evening?" Natasha asked, stealing a piece of fruit from Tony's plate rather than make her own.

"This ceremony for Peter starts at eight," Tony answered. "T'Challa gives a speech and all the gathered tribal leaders will pay tribute for what he did with token gifts – nothing too outrageous, from what T'Challa told me – and then there will a cocktail party, of sorts."

"_Wakandan_ style," Pepper added. "The tribal leaders will be in their best, we are not expected to wear formal clothing."

"Too bad," Romanoff said, smiling. "I'd have had a reason to get a new dress."

"And the power stone?" Stephen asked.

"Tomorrow morning, Steve and Carol – and _Natasha_, if she wants – are going to take Ned home. T'Challa will then let us know what he's come up with for our final approval."

"I'll stick around," Natasha replied, not surprising any of them. "Anything else going on that we should know about?"

Pepper shook her head, her expression suddenly guarded.

"No. Nothing…"

The assassin narrowed her eyes, slightly, reading the lie, immediately.

"Oh?" She wasn't above doing a little digging. Even with her friends. "Nothing at all?"

"Nope. Just the usual stuff. We're going to go do some shopping, ourselves, today, aren't we Tony?"

Her husband hadn't missed the interchange, and he looked at Pepper, too.

"Yes…" he frowned. "What do _you_ know that I don't…?"

"What?" she scoffed. "I know a lot of things that you don't. The list is endless." Pepper wiped her mouth, delicately, with her napkin – which, incidentally, allowed her to break eye contact with both of them. "I'm going to go get changed."

Without waiting for a reply, she got up and left the table, and Strange wasn't the only one to watch her go.

"What was that all about?"

Tony shrugged, looking at Natasha, who echoed the gesture with an amused grin.

"No clue."

"But you'll ask, later?"

"Of course."

"And tell me?"

"Yeah."


	199. Chapter 199

"Do I look alright?"

Pepper smiled, brushing a nonexistent particle of dust from the shoulder of the dress shirt Peter was wearing. A light blue button down to go with the slacks that he was wearing. Similar to what Tony had on, while she was wearing a simple – but incredibly expensive – little black dress and a single gold necklace.

"You look perfect."

"T'Challa didn't tell you guys what happens?"

Tony shook his head.

"I get the feeling he's pretty much making things up as he goes along," his father told him. "It's not like they thank someone for saving the world every other weekend, after all."

"Do you think I'll have to make a speech?"

"Did you _write_ one?" Stark asked, smiling.

"No."

Peter was feeling just a little green, suddenly, at the thought of being the center of attention for all the tribe leaders and the dignitaries of T'Challa's palace. He wasn't too bad in crowds, but he liked to vanish into them. Not stand out, if he could avoid it.

"You look good, Peter," Ned added, although he definitely looked relieved that _he_ wasn't the one involved in the ceremony. He'd had a fun time chatting with Jad and the elders of the little Jabari mountain village, but he didn't want to be in the sights of too many people who were a lot higher up than that. "They're not going to do anything to embarrass you, or hurt you. T'Challa and Shuri are friends."

"Yeah. I know."

That was the only reason he'd agreed to the ceremony in the first place.

There was a knock on the door and Steve, Carol, Natasha and Stephen all walked into the little suite, as well. Peter hid his smile, but Steve was bright red, having become a victim of the fierce African sun and a lack of sunscreen that afternoon. The men were dressed similarly to Peter and Tony, while Natasha looked amazing in a green dress that was modest by her own standards, and showed off her curves but didn't invite anyone to admire from too closely.

"Are we ready?" Steve asked. "We just walked by a balcony and it looks as if half of the country is gathered outside."

Peter looked a little green at that, too, but Tony just patted his back.

"You'll do fine," he murmured. A little louder, he nodded. "We're good, I think."

One of the palace guards had been standing unobtrusively by the door, and she nodded, too.

"I will inform his Majesty."

She left, but they only waited a moment before a small group of warriors dressed in the traditional garb of all the Wakandan tribes came to the corridor outside the room.

"His Majesty has charged us with seeing Peter to his position of honor," the leader of the men told Tony.

Pepper frowned, but Tony nodded.

"He is your responsibility."

The man saluted, formally, and gave Peter a respectful bow before gesturing for the boy to take a position in the center of the group. They all walked down the hall, and Romanoff frowned.

"What was that all about?"

"It sets the tone for the evening," Tony said. "T'Challa is going all out – as is his country – to make sure Peter understands that since the rest of the world and the universe can't acknowledge what he did, they will. He warned me it was going to happen, earlier."

"_You_ might have warned _us_, too," Pepper chided.

He smiled, not looking too apologetic.

"Sorry."

He offered her his arm, though, and they went out into the corridor as well, with the others following, and picked up their own guide, who led them, not to the throne room, which they all expected, but to a large hall. Silence fell over the room when they entered, and the crowd of Wakandans who were gathered all bowed to them as they walked in and were ushered to a couple of comfortable couches where, presumably, they would have a good view of the proceedings. As they seated themselves, with Ned finding a spot between Pepper and Natasha, a pair of tribal warriors took positions on either end of their seating, gleaming spears in hand and clearly in their finest garb.

Peter wasn't the only one who was being honored for his participation in the battle, obviously.

"Wow…" Ned said, softly.

The room was large. One end had a raised dais with a throne on it, although it wasn't occupied at the moment. Along the wall on the left side of the throne was a bank of digital monitors, all of which were off, just then. There were a lot of people, clearly nobles and officials to judge by their dress – although Ned had only really met M'Baku, who was present but was standing formally at the entrance to the room that was closest to the throne. Since Okoye was also by that door, it was a fair indication that T'Challa was near, even if he wasn't actually in the room, yet.

As soon as their visitors were seated, comfortably, a warrior standing near the throne hit the butt of his spear to the floor three times. The sound echoed throughout the room, and everyone turned that direction. There was no announcement with a herald and no fanfare, but after only a moment, T'Challa walked into the room with his mother. Behind them walked Peter and Shuri. All of the Wakandans were dressed in magnificent outfits, and without a word Ramona went to sit in a comfortable chair off to the side of the throne, while Peter went to stand on the right hand side of the throne, and Shuri took a position on the left.

T'Challa looked at those assembled, his gaze lingering when he found Tony and Pepper. He bowed, slightly, and smiled – which was an indication to those assembled that the reason for gathering was a festive one, rather than something that would be serious, or related to retribution. The American's didn't know the significance, but the Wakandans all did. It was clearly a ritual, and there was a ripple of bows and curtseys through the room as the young king went to stand in front of his throne.

"My people," T'Challa said, his voice strong, and being amplified through some form of technology. "We are gathered to pay tribute. And to honor those who have saved us from a destruction we were not even aware we were facing."

There was another ripple through the audience, and this time it was filled with expectation.

M'Baku stepped forward.

"Who do we honor?"

Another formal question, obviously, since they all knew Peter was the reason for them being there.

The King of Wakanda raised his hand, gesturing toward the boy standing beside him.

"This is Peter. He is of America. Son of Tony and Richard, son of Pepper and Mary. The blood of warriors courses through his veins, as his father's father was a hero of his country, and a mighty warrior."

"What has Peter done, that he is worthy if our honor?"

T'Challa gestured toward the displays that had been set up along the wall. The room went slightly dimmer as they all turned on, and everyone who was watching suddenly saw a large group of Wakandans on an open field. They were clearly denoting two factions. On the one side were Wakandans who were acting crazy, beating their chests, snarling, waving weapons and clearly threatening. From the middle of this group walked a large warrior, wearing unfamiliar clothing and carrying an enormous weapon that looked a lot like the one Thanos had born when he'd appeared at the compound with his army.

The other group were dressed in every day Wakandan garb. They were standing quietly. Those watching could see that many of them had smeared their dark skin with light-colored ash and dust, denoting themselves as lighter-skinned people, obviously. They were clearly waiting, weapons at the ready.

The warrior masquerading as Thanos raised his weapon, and a drum in the background began to beat. A slow, anticipatory rhythm. A warning, or a threat. The invading army were suddenly all dancing, but while it was to the beat of the drum, it was still chaotic and obviously a challenge.

The defenders still stood. Even as more and more 'invaders' joined those that had been there, until there were maybe a thousand Wakandans dancing in the same rhythm, chanting and whooping, all standing behind their leader, waiting but working themselves into a frenzy. They had the others out numbered four to one, and it was clearly a hopeless situation.

The drumbeat changed and the weapon in Thanos' hand was dropped; a signal for the music to increase in tempo and speed. The invaders danced forward, now, charging in sync toward the defenders, who all readied themselves in a single motion that looked as if it was one person rather than 250 of them. They met the charging army with a clash of cymbals that was designed to be the clang of weapons, and now both armies were dancing; twirling, spinning, leaping and lashing out with their weapons.

It was synchronized chaos. Hundreds of the invaders 'died' and lay still where they fell. A few of the defenders 'died', as well, but it was clear they were fighting valiantly, and weren't giving any ground. The drumbeat increased even more, building to a crescendo and every dancer – defender or invader – suddenly stopped at the exact same moment.

From the middle of the defenders out stepped a lone figure.

Even with his entire body covered in pale dust, they could all recognize Azoru, and the young Jabari noble was clothed only in a loincloth, an indication to the watching Wakandans of his youth and vulnerability. On his right hand was a dark glove, and as the drums swelled to a final high, they went silent, and there was a crack of a branch, that signified a snap, and in the silence that followed that lone noise every invader fell to the earth, and lay still. 'Thanos' took a little longer, but he fell, also. For one long moment Azoru watched the scene around him. Watched as the defenders looked at those that had been attacking, but were now no longer a threat.

And then, clutching his hand in a manner that made Tony blanche – it was that similar to how Peter had acted – the young Jabari noble fell to the earth, as well, to be immediately swarmed by the people of his army.

That was where the monitors turned off, and there was a long moment of silence in the room as everyone took in what they had seen. Then T'Challa spoke into that quiet, his voice proud, and his eyes lit up with excitement from having witnessed a masterful retelling of events that he had actually been present for.

"Peter was willing to sacrifice himself for his people. And ours. He endured great injury, and took the pain we all would have felt. That, alone, would make him worthy of our respect and honor." He waited for the inevitable nods from those in the room, watching. But he wasn't done. "When Peter snapped his fingers and killed the attacking armies, he unleashed a powerful force. A brilliant light that swept through the world and healed all who were caught up in it. A single light that healed all who were sick, or injured. A light of comfort. For that, he deserves much more than just our honor. He deserves retribution from every soul that he saved, and every soul that he healed."

Tony wasn't the only one to see Peter's expression grow concerned – as if the boy was worried about more honor issues when he'd already had plenty of that thrown at him. But there was very little time for him to react.

"What would you have us do?" M'Baku asked. "How do we honor what he has done for us?"

T'Challa smiled, and he put his hand on Peter's shoulder.

"We make him one of us, of course."


	200. Chapter 200

M'Baku looked at Peter, and then back at his king.

"The Jabari Tribe will adopt Peter Parker as one of their own."

Tony felt Pepper's hand land, lightly, on his leg, but while he caught it with his own, he was watching the scene unfolding in front of him. Before T'Challa could respond to M'Baku's statement, another man stepped forward, his garb and bearing marking him as another chieftain.

"Majesty. The _River_ Tribe will adopt Peter Parker as one of their own."

A woman stepped forward; slim and regal and dripping in jewels.

"The _Merchant_ Tribe demands to be allowed to adopt Peter Parker as one of their sons."

The crowd was silent, now, as another man stepped forward, and Tony recognized this one as the leader of the Border Tribe. He'd been to the compound for the battle with Thanos, after all.

"The _Border_ Tribe wishes the honor of adopting Peter Parker as theirs," came his deep, booming, voice.

"Majesty," a final man said, stepping up beside the woman. "The _Mining_ Tribe seeks Peter Parker as their son."

T'Challa didn't look surprised, which told those who didn't already know that this was expected – or maybe planned ahead of time. He nodded to all the assembled tribal leaders.

"The Panther Tribe would also seek to claim his as their son," he told his people. "But we will not start an internal dispute over the honor of having him. We have thought long and hard on how we would settle this issue if it arose, and have our own solution."

"Which _is_?" M'Baku asked.

"There will be a new tribe added to the rolls of the Wakandan people. Peter will be the first member of that tribe, but _not_ the last, I expect." The king looked at the tribal leaders. "Such a measure requires the agreement of all tribes. Do we create a new tribe, forming it around Peter Parker?"

M'Baku was first to speak.

"The Jabari agree to the formation of a new tribe."

One by one each of the other tribe's leaders spoke the formal words. When the last had stepped back, T'Challa turned to Peter.

"Peter Parker. The Wakandan people invite you to become one of us. To agree does not mean you are not still a citizen of your birth country, and the son of those who call you theirs, _now_. It means that you are being accorded the honor to call upon any of the Wakandan tribes to assist you, should you need it – and you will come to their aid, as long as their cause is just. What is your reply?"

Peter looked a bit stunned by the sudden offer, but Alec was in the minds of those Wakandans gathered around, and nudged him to say the words that were expected of him.

"It would be an honor," he replied. He looked at all the gathered nobles. "I _accept_."

There was a great murmur of conversation, although all of the people on the couch were quietly surprised. Ned was gawking, looking between Peter and Tony and Pepper, wondering what – if anything – that meant, and the rest were waiting, because there was clearly more to the ceremony, since T'Challa hadn't moved from where he was standing.

"Many of my people know of your connections," T'Challa told Peter. "We are aware of your father's wealth, and his own connection to those who would keep the earth safe from that which threatens it, regularly. We-" and now he meant the _royal_ we. "Would honor that connection when it came to the name of the new tribe. It should be fitting that the tribe be the Avenger tribe. Is that acceptable? Or do you prefer the _Parker_ tribe?"

Peter shook his head.

"The Avenger tribe is fitting."

"So it shall be, then. There is a simple matter that must be taken care of, before you can claim your place as a noble son of the new tribe, however."

"Oh?"

"To be counted as a noble – no matter which tribe – you must be an _adult_. I understand that things are judged differently in other countries of the earth – including your own – but in Wakanda your deeds and your stand against the Titan Thanos has surpassed any trial that my people would demand of you to pass into manhood. We will forgo the testing."

"Thank you."

From what he knew, it would have meant a dive into the pool of water from the high cliff he'd seen out on safari with Pepper and Tony. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but if he didn't have to do it, then that was only to the good. It would save time.

"_Oh, no…"_

Alec sounded suddenly amused and chagrined.

"_What?"_

"_Wait for it."_

"However, my people _do_ require you to bear a symbol of that trial. A mark, to prove you deserve to be called an adult in our society."

Peter raised an eyebrow, even as T'Challa gestured for two wizened old men to step forward, with a young man standing nervously beside the smaller of the two. Both men were heavily tattooed, and wore brightly colored robes, with beads, shells and even pieces of animal teeth and bones adorning them. The Mind stone, or _Alec_, told the boy they were shaman.

"Take off your shirt, please," one of the old men requested.

Peter frowned, and was too numb by the sudden request to refuse, or hesitate. He took his shirt off, and the oldest man stepped forward. He dipped his hand in a small pot that the boy was holding, and then drew it across Peter's chest from left shoulder to the right. The liquid was cool and left a lightly colored stain. The old man watched, and waited – as did all of those watching the proceedings. There was a soft snort of satisfaction, and Peter looked down at his chest and saw that just below his collarbone on the left side of his chest, the liquid had turned darker than it had anywhere else on his pale skin.

The other old man picked up a tool and handed it to the first, who looked at T'Challa, questioningly. The young king nodded, and Peter frowned when both men were suddenly standing in his bubble, one holding a cloth that was soft and absorbent, while the other held a sharply pointed tool that looked as if it held ink on the tip. The old man jabbed it into Peter's skin, quickly, so suddenly that the boy didn't even have a chance to wince.

"_Don't show any sign of pain,"_ Alec told him. _"You have to take the mark without any indication that it hurts. It's part of the manhood ceremony."_

"_The _mark_?"_ Peter echoed, eyes widening, as he realized what was happening. _"Oh, no."_

"_Hold still."_

He did what he was told, as the two old men worked with the quick efficiency that told Peter they'd done this a million times. Poke, poke, poke, poke, wipe, poke, poke, poke… The sting wasn't unbearable, but it wasn't fun, either. He was aware of utter stillness in the room as the men tattooed his skin, and after fifteen minutes of quick work, there was a final wipe of something that burned more than all of the pokes, combined, and the men stepped back.

Peter looked down at himself, again, as the men moved to the side to allow the assembled people to see the finished product, as well. Red and a little swollen, but still plain to see, there was now an Avenger A tattooed neatly into his skin. It wasn't too big – not all across his whole chest or anything – but it was _definitely_ a tattoo. And he couldn't help the smile when he saw that the A itself was neatly set in the webbing of a spider, with the creature itself peeking out from behind the longer leg of the A.

He glanced toward Pepper, wondering what she was going to think, but T'Challa spoke, first. "The A is a symbol of your new tribe," the King of Wakanda told him. "The rest is a personalization that is appropriate – although not everyone will know why."

There was a low murmuring through the onlookers as the displays on the side of the room showed a closeup of the tattoo, and the spider.

"It's incredible."

And, obviously planned, since there was no way that the old men knew what the Avenger symbol looked like well enough to make it without any planning – no matter how good they were. Not to mention the spider.

T'Challa looked pleased at Peter's response, but he turned to his people, once more.

"In many of the tribes, histories are taught through story telling. The dance we witnessed will become a part of our history, and the young will know of it from the time they are old enough to understand what they are seeing. There is a section of land in the east that is one of the few places that the lands of all five tribes converge. This is the land that will be carved for the new tribe." He smiled, especially since normally an announcement that he was taking away land would be met with annoyed mutterings, but this time it was merely approval. "It is appropriate – especially since there is an aspect of all the tribes in each section of that land. A gift to you and your tribe from now until the end of time."

"Thank you, Majesty."

T'Challa's smile broadened.

"It is our honor." He turned to his people and raised his arms in triumph. "Come. Greet your new brother." As T'Challa turned to go sit on his throne, now, he had on final comment – spoken softly, so only Peter could hear. "Keep your shirt off, so they can all see the tattoo, close up. But I expect you to protect me from your mother when she sees it."

"She didn't _know_?"

"Sometimes, Peter, it is easier to obtain forgiveness than permission."

The boy smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Then he turned toward the crowd, still smiling.


	201. Chapter 201

Shuri was the first to step up to Peter, and she was smiling as she did. In deference to the fact that he was bare-chested and she knew the tattoo would be stinging, she put her arms around him and hugged him, but was careful not to brush against his skin and irritate the new mark he sported. Then, she pressed a kiss against his cheek before she stepped back.

"Welcome to Wakanda."

He smiled, blushing.

"Thank you. You knew this was going to happen?"

"Only some of it," she admitted. "Not the tattoo – or the name of the tribe. Only that he had decided you needed to become a noble, and that he was concerned there may be actual arguments among the tribes for the honor of making you theirs, so he was going to create a new tribe in your honor." She looked over her friend's shoulder at her brother, and rolled her eyes. "I think he thought I would ruin the surprise."

"Or maybe he wanted to surprise you, too."

The princess smirked.

"Perhaps." She hugged him, again. "I must move aside to allow for the others to welcome you, properly, as well. I can't wait to see Pepper's reaction when she gets a good look at your chest."

"You and everyone else, I imagine," Peter told her, grinning.

She walked away, and Ramona stepped forward, also hugging Peter, warmly, and kissing his cheek. She admired his new tattoo – which made him think that it was traditional to do so for someone newly inked – and asked him if there was anything he required. He didn't know what having a new tribe actually _entailed_, but he suspected that it wasn't going to be too complicated, since T'Challa had to know that the Avengers weren't going to have a lot of spare time to come to Wakanda and deal with a lot of daily issues.

He'd have to ask.

"Even now, they are showing this ceremony to those gathered outside," she told him, taking as much if his time as she wanted, since she knew none of those waiting to have a few words of greeting would deny her the right. "When the tribes begin to disperse, tomorrow, they will take the tale back to those people who didn't come, and it will be known before the week is out that there is a new tribe. And a new young, noble, son of that tribe."

Peter blushed.

"It's a lot more than was really necessary. You guys know that, right?"

"If every country knew what you did and had a small ceremony, then it would still be what we wanted to do to honor you." She smiled. "We like to do things big, that way. You'll have to indulge us."

The boy smiled, as well.

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"No. That is true."

She kissed him, again, and then left, making room for others, now, and Peter greeted M'Baku, who held out a hand to shake Peter's, but luckily didn't offer to – or seem to feel the _need_ to – hug him or to kiss him. The Jabari leader spoke a few traditional words of greeting that didn't make them any less welcoming, and moved aside to mingle with the others, and make room for the rest.

It was apparently a tradition that the leaders had first chance – after the _royals_, of course – because the tribal chieftains were all gathered, first, to greet him. They were all very warm and welcoming, and the woman _did_ hug him and press a kiss against his cheek, so he decided that that was a custom, as well.

Or maybe he just had a kissable cheek?

When the leaders had finished their greetings, the rest of those assembled each had a chance, although Peter noticed Ned was the only walking over to him. His friend waited patiently at the end up of the line for his turn, grinning excitedly when he finally stepped up.

"Can I be in your tribe?"

Peter smiled.

"Of course."

"You will require a tattoo, though," Shuri said as she walked over, now that the formal greetings were finished.

"I thought that was just for nobles."

"No. All adult members of a tribe carry a mark to prove who they are associated with. It's custom."

Ned looked at Peter's tattoo, speculatively.

"So the A is the tribal mark, and the spider part is just Peter's own personal play on it?"

"Exactly." She smiled. "I expect that Tony will get one, too. His will most likely have an Ironman connotation to it."

"Wonder what mine will be?" Ned pondered. "Maybe a _chair_?"

Peter laughed, outright, at that.

"You're a lot more than just the guy in the chair," he told his friend. "So you should come up with something better than that."

"I probably have plenty of time to decide, since there's no way in hell my mom's going to let me get a tattoo…"

"We'll work on her, together," Peter promised. He looked at Shuri. "Can I put my shirt on, now?"

She smirked.

"If you _must_. The formal part of the ceremony is over, so now you can go mingle with your family, as well as the hundreds new brothers and sisters you now have."

He smiled at that, and Ned handed him his shirt.

"Heady stuff for an only child."

The princess laughed at that and patted his shoulder before walking away. Ned waited until Peter had his shirt on and was tucking it into his slacks.

"Holy shit, Peter… I can't believe you got a tattoo."

"Me, either." He glanced at the crowd, looking for specific people. "What did Pepper say? Was she mad?"

"There was this kind of weird, strangled, noise coming from her direction as it was happening," Ned told him as the two boys jumped off the dais and headed to where Ned had left Tony and the others. "But she can't be mad. Not at you, anyway. You didn't get drunk and get it done. It was T'Challa's idea."

Despite that reassurance, both boys did hesitate just a little when they walked up to where Tony and Pepper were standing, holding refreshments and talking to a small group of tribesmen and women. Both noticed his arrival, immediately, of course, and Peter walked over to stand almost sheepishly with them, feeling uncertain, despite the fact that he didn't have anything to do with getting the tattoo. There was a lot more for him to worry about, really, than a mark on his skin.

Tony's expression clouded, just a little, as he recognized the boy's discomfort, but he waited until the Wakandans that they were talking to had greeted Peter and Ned and had excused themselves and walked away before speaking up.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Open your shirt," Pepper told him, her expression relaxed and filled with only love for him. He decided that she'd noticed his unease, as well, and was worried that she might be as upset as the others were telling him she should be. "Let me see it up close."

Peter did what he was told and Pepper and Tony both stepped closer.

"That's really impressive," Stark told him, pressing his fingers, carefully, against the red edges. "Does it hurt, much?"

"Hurt while they were doing it. It aches a bit, now, is all." He looked at Pepper. "I didn't know they were going to do it."

She smiled.

"I know. We didn't, either. It's not hideous, or anything – and it's incredibly fitting."

"Could have had MOM spread across his chest," Ned added."

Peter rolled his eyes, but it only made Pepper smile.

"Only the one," she told him, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. "Until you're eighteen, of course."

"And then…?"

"Still only _one_," she told him, firmly, making Tony smile. "I've been assured that this will be the only time you'll actually be required to have one."

Peter nodded, but they both noticed that he still looked a little stressed and decided that the tattoo wasn't the reason for his concerns.

"What's up, son?" the billionaire asked, softly. "You look worried."

The boy shook his head.

"It can wait."

There were too many people around.

"Nope." Tony turned to Ned. "Go tell Natasha that we're going to go for a walk to get some fresh air – in case she comes looking for us."

"Okay."

"Come on, Peter," Tony said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. They had him straightened out, now, and he wasn't going to let things go backward, if he could avoid it. "I _do_ need some fresh air."

"Yeah."

With one of them on either side of him, they headed for the door in an unhurried fashion, and were soon out in the wide corridor. They didn't stop, though. They walked in silence for a long moment, until they came to the end of the hall, which opened onto a balcony. They stepped through, and while Pepper slid her arm around Peter's waist, Tony closed the door behind them. Moving to the rail, Peter looked down onto the capitol, and saw the streets below were crowded with people celebrating.

"What's up?" Tony asked. "You can't be that worried about the tattoo. _We're_ not. You know that, right?"

"It's not the tattoo," Peter told him. "That's the only part about all of this that I like."

"What, then?" Pepper asked.

"I can't be a Wakandan tribal noble, or whatever…" Peter told them. "I barely have time to do all the stuff I have to do, already. There's probably a million responsibilities that it entails, and all kinds of meetings, and ceremonies, and-"

"Hey…" Tony interrupted him, gently, but he _did_ put a hand up to stop the flood of concerns. "It's okay, son. T'Challa told me that he was thinking about doing something like this." He glanced at Pepper. "Not the _tattoo_. I would have mentioned that. But the tribe thing is just a formality. While it _is_ a real tribe and everything, there are going to be very few people actually _in_ it – mostly the Avengers and the like. It was a way to give out a parcel of land to us. A piece of land that none of the other tribes will trespass on, since that's considered bad form around here, apparently."

"Oh."

"It just happens to be the land that your vibranium mine is sitting on – or under – whichever. That's where we're putting the power stone, right? This way it's protected. Even better, because of the location, it's also protected all of the tribes."

"So no new responsibilities?"

"Nothing big. Maybe a once a year meetings of the tribes, but that's something we can look forward to, not worry about. Yeah?"

Peter felt a load of worry fade, and he nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Feel better?"

"Yes."

"Then, let's go mingle for a while."

Peter smiled.

"Sounds good."


	202. Chapter 202

They had barely walked back into the room before strong arms came around Peter from behind, low enough to avoid the sore spot on his chest, and a breathy voice in his ear, spoke.

"Hey, baby, take your shirt off."

"Said no girl to Peter, _ever_," Ned said, standing next to Natasha and close enough to hear her.

Peter smiled, and Natasha let him go so he could turn and face her and the others. Carole, Stephen, and Steve were standing near the door – almost certainly waiting for him and his parents to return.

"Everything alright?" Steve asked, looking from Tony to Pepper and then at Peter.

Stark nodded.

"You know Peter… worried that now that _he_ has a tattoo all the rest of us will show him up and start getting them, too."

"You'll have to if you want to be in the Avenger tribe," Ned pointed out. "That's what T'Challa said, right? Everyone who's an adult in the tribe has a mark."

Carol had leaned in to get a good look at Peter's tattoo, once he'd opened his shirt so Natasha could look at it.

"That's a pretty good job," she said. "They didn't take long, either."

"I got the feeling that they've done a million of them," Peter agreed.

Danvers gave Tony a smirk.

"Going to get an Avengers tattoo, now?"

His look was a bit chagrined.

"I already have one," he told her.

"You _do_?" Peter asked. He frowned, because he'd seen Tony in swim trunks more than once, and he was sure he'd have noticed if there'd been a tattoo. _Especially_ an Avengers one. "Where?"

Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Go ahead," she said to her husband "Tell him."

He shrugged, trying for nonchalance.

"I _might_ have gotten a little inebriated one night – a _long_ time ago – and had that very same symbol tattooed onto my right buttock."

"You did?" Peter asked, surprised. "_Really_?"

"I _did_," Tony confirmed, even as Pepper smiled. "And no, none of you can see it."

"Oh, darn," Strange said, not even bothering to look upset at the denial.

"You can do something with an Ironman theme to it," Ned said, clearly amused at the idea that Stark already had his tattoo. "Maybe a repulser, or an arc reactor. Or a-"

"We'll see," Tony said, holding up his hand.

"Saves you the trouble of getting inked, though," Stephen said. "Convenient. For you and _Natasha_, both," he added, giving her an amused look.

The assassin smirked and rolled her eyes.

"You have one, too?" Peter asked.

"Of course." She reached out and took hold of his chin with her fingers. "And before you ask, it's on my left hip, which is why you haven't seen it. And most likely _won't_."

"What is it?" Ned had to ask, and glancing toward her leg. "Tell me it's a _spider_."

She _was_ Black Widow, after all.

"It's a web with the A stuck in it," Romanoff told him. "Instead of the crossbar of the A, though, there's a throwing knife."

"That's awesome."

"Yup." She smiled at Peter. "Please let me be in your tribe…"

"Of course you can." Peter looked at Steve. "Do _you_ already have a tattoo, too?"

"Nope." The big man smiled, cheerfully, at Pepper. "I can't believe he got a tattoo before I did."

"I _can_," Tony replied, putting an arm over Peter's shoulder. "He's a rebel. Next thing you know, he'll be buying a motorcycle and joining the Hell's Angels, or something."

"Not until he's done with high school," Pepper said. She smiled. "And _college_."

"This evening is just full of revelations," Strange told them – although he obviously knew about Natasha's mark. "Let me know when the rest of you plan on getting your tattoos."

"Are you going to get one?" Peter asked, curiously.

"Of course not," Stephen said. "It would be wildly out of place. But it will be fun to watch. And maybe make suggestions."

"You can't be in the club if you don't get a tattoo, Stephen," Tony reminded him.

"I'll be an honorary member." He didn't seem too concerned about the restrictions. "Natasha can teach me the secret handshake, and the password."

"We can discuss all of that later," Pepper said. She looked at Peter. "It's your party. You should go mingle with the hosts and the other leaders."

"Yeah. Okay."

"I'll come with you," Ned offered. "You know, to keep you out of trouble."

The two boys walked away, and the adults watched them go.

"You're taking care of the power stone, tomorrow?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. Once Ned is gone."

"Not that we don't trust him," Pepper said. "We do. But he has enough secrets that he's keeping. We don't want him to start stressing over it."

"Good." He smiled as he saw several young women gather around Peter and Ned, who was gesturing to his friend's chest, and then pointing to his own. And then his shoulder, and then his forearm. "And how are you going to convince his mother to allow him to get a tattoo, as well? You're not going to make him wait until he's eighteen, are you?"

"We'll see."

"She negotiates billion dollar deals every day," Tony reminded them.

"Mother's are a lot more difficult," Pepper pointed out. "I have a feeling Ned's going to be the one who convinces her."

"We'll worry about it, later. We should probably mingle with Peter's hosts, as well."

Good point. They all separated in couples and wandered around the room, but if anyone were paying attention, they'd have noticed that despite the casualness of the gathering, all six sets of eyes were always going back to Peter and Ned, just to make sure they weren't getting themselves into trouble.

OOOOOOOO

"Why are you hiding?"

Shuri scowled at her brother.

"I am not hiding."

T'Challa smiled, but it wasn't as amused as it might normally have been, because she looked upset. Not _mad_ upset, but something different. Hurt? Worried? He had been watching her from where he'd been discussing the new tribe with a few of his counsel, as well as his mother – mostly out of overprotectiveness to make sure the young men were being respectful and keeping their distance – but none of them seemed to be getting close enough to cause any mischief. They would go up to her and greet her, but the conversation would falter after a polite smile and a few queries about the boy's family.

Then she would turn her attention back to the corner of the room where Peter and Ned were standing, engaged in conversation with several young Wakandan noblewomen. All of them appeared fascinated by Peter – although T'Challa knew they were much more fascinated with the idea of him being a noble, now, and a member of what was going to end up being a very exclusive tribe. The young men weren't the only ones looking for potential mates and spouses at the tribal gathering, after all, and T'Challa knew it.

"He followed her gaze.

"Would you like me send them all away? A royal edict?"

She blushed at being so transparent, but her smile was amused.

"He needs to meet them."

"Why are you not doing the introductions?"

"He does not need my company, brother." She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her tone. "He has plenty."

T'Challa uncharacteristically put his arms around her and hugged her – something he hadn't really done in far too long.

"I command you to go spend time with our new noble, sister. I would not want him to fall into any proposal traps, or unwittingly make a promise to one of the women he is speaking with. You can keep him out of trouble better than Ned, I am sure."

"You command?"

"I am king," he reminded her.

"Yes, Majesty."

She smirked, and he smiled, kissing her cheek before he released her.

"Not too much time," he clarified. "You must still acknowledge those suitors who have come to see you. Just stay close to Peter while you're doing it."

"I will."

"And stay out of trouble."

"Of course."

He rolled his eyes and went to find Tony.

OOOOOOOO

Peter looked almost relieved when Shuri walked up to stand beside him, offering him a cool glass of fruit juice – since she knew Pepper and Tony wouldn't approve of him drinking anything stronger.

"Are you having a good time?" she asked him – and Ned – smiling politely to the young women that were talking to the teens.

He nodded, and reached for her hand, absently.

"I am. The people are being incredibly kind to me."

But it was clear to her that he was uncomfortable with all the attention, and was more than wiling to use her as a bit of a shield. She was willing to be used, as well. She squeezed his hand, lightly.

"It is only proper."

"Dalla was telling us about the river tribe," Ned told Shuri. "She invited Peter to come visit, sometime."

The princess smiled at the noblewoman.

"He is leaving for his home, tomorrow, unfortunately. There will not be time for any extended trips, unfortunately. Although your tribe's lands are beautiful."

The young woman's smile wasn't quite as cheerful.

"Yes." She backed down – mainly because Shuri was one of the few in the room with more rank than she had. "Perhaps next time, Peter."

"That would be great," the American agreed.

He squeezed Shuri's hand, again, and the talk discussion turned to some of the items that they'd seen in the marketplace that afternoon. Soon the group was joined by a few of the young noblemen, as well – including Azoru, who accepted praises for his portrayal of Peter in the dance. The group became more animated as some alcohol was consumed by the older youths, but it was definitely more fun, now, and Peter smiled over at Shuri more than once that evening – and only released her hand when he absolutely had to do so.


	203. Chapter 203

It was fairly late by the time the party broke up.

Peter had spent most of the evening beside Shuri, watching with amusement as Ned made friends with all of the young women who had gathered around Peter and Shuri. He was a lot more social than Peter, and much less reserved around strangers, and it showed. The girls were clearly enamored of him due to his personality and outgoing nature, and there were a lot of smiles and not too subtle flirting going on. Even better, as far as Shuri was concerned, once Azoru arrived, Ned and the young Jabari nobleman took the brunt of the attention of the young men who were gathered around, as well. Azoru had pointed out that Ned was Peter's best friend and was also learning hand to hand techniques from Captain America and Black Widow and while not all of the young nobles gathered knew those names before that weekend, some of them did, and were suitably impressed.

They all seemed to realize that Peter probably wouldn't be willing to give a demonstration of those techniques, but Ned was more than willing – although he wisely refused to use anyone but Azoru as a partner, to keep there from being any misunderstandings. Azoru was considered a friend, after all, even to Ned. If a hand slipped and someone got slapped, there wouldn't be a need for more than a simple apology.

"Ned is getting pretty good," Shuri observed to Peter, watching as he and Azoru went at each other in a much slowed down demonstration of a fighting technique that Ned was learning. They were being careful not to be too animated, since there were a lot of breakable objects in the corner of the room all the younger attendees had clustered around. "Has he been learning spear, as well?"

"He has to be good by now," Peter pointed out. "He's learning from the Avengers. And, no, no spears, yet – but Clint has been showing him staff work, as a lead up to it."

"Not _Natasha_?" she asked, smiling.

She was well aware of Ned's crush on Black Widow, of course.

"Not, yet. He needs to see everyone's techniques, not just Natasha's. So they mix up his instructors. Like they do for me."

"That makes sense."

Peter nodded.

By the time Tony had mingled his way over to Peter, the adrenaline from the evening's excitement was wearing down and he was beginning to flag.

"Mom and I are calling it a night," the billionaire told him.

"Do I have to?"

"Nope." Tony smiled at Shuri, but turned his attention back to the boy. "However, I will remind you that you're going to need to be up, early, and there are a few important items that are going to need your attention. _Full_ attention, too, not half-assed."

"_He's right,"_ Alec chimed in. _"You're going to be handling the power stone. You need to be rested."_

Peter felt just a little tingle of dread at the idea, but it wasn't the power of the stone, or moving it, that had him nervous. He was just beginning to enjoy being pain-free and wasn't looking forward to the ache that would follow.

"Yeah. Good point. Hold on and I'll walk with you."

"We'll meet you at the door." Tony took Shuri's hand and kissed it, formally, eliciting a smile from the girl – and a bit of a blush, although they couldn't really tell. His eyes were amused, though, and he knew that despite the familiarity she now had with him, there was still a bit of the fangirl lurking inside that always enjoyed his attention. "Goodnight, princess. We will see you after breakfast, I hope."

"Of course. Goodnight, Tony."

He turned and left, waving at Azoru and Ned, who had finished and were watching with a few others. Peter turned to her.

"_I'll_ see you in the morning, too?"

"Definitely."

"Thanks for hanging out with me, tonight. I enjoyed your company."

"It was my pleasure."

He took her hand and kissed it, too, and a few of the young noblemen frowned at the lack of formality in the action. Fine for Tony Stark to do it, but Peter was a rival – even if he didn't consider himself as such – and they hadn't forgotten that they were supposed to be trying to gain her attentions that evening. They just hadn't had a lot of opportunity to do so.

Azoru stepped up and took Shuri's hand, now, kissing it, as well.

"My princess," he said with an amused gleam in his dark eyes. "Since Peter's going to retire for the evening, allow me to the honor of being your companion."

"Me, too," Ned said, giving her a courtly bow, but grinning and ruining any formality that he might have been trying for.

Peter stepped to the side, and Ned and Azoru took up spots on either side of her, effectively keeping the would be suitors at bay. Azoru because he had as much rank as any of them – and more than many – and Ned because he was a guest, and as such sacrosanct. Peter said goodnight to the other youths that he'd been talking to that evening, and then headed for the door, stopping, however, to talk to pretty much everyone – including T'Challa and Ramonda – as he did.

"I didn't see the others," he told Tony and Pepper when he finally reached them.

"Because they called it a night a long time ago," Stark replied. They turned and started down the hall, with Peter between the two adults. "Stephen is only here because he wanted to see the ceremony as an observer – and because Natasha came, of course – so they left fairly early. Steve and Carol left sometime around when Ned and Azoru started sparring – because Steve was tempted to go over and correct Azoru's stance, and Carol didn't want to watch an evening of hand to hand."

"Which definitely would have happened," Pepper added.

It was no secret that Captain America was a skilled hand to hand fighter, and that many young men around? Clamoring for a demonstration? Steve would have been too polite to say no – and then would have been enjoying himself too much to stop.

"Did you guys have a good time?" Peter asked, feeling a little guilty that he hadn't spent much time with them that night.

"We did," Tony assured him, his hand going to Peter's shoulder, affectionately. "While the kids were hanging out with you and Shuri, their parents were already trying to start lining up trading alliances and water usage agreements. All kinds of things. Pepper had them tangled in the legal formalities before they knew what hit them."

"You did?"

His mother nodded.

"Ramonda warned me that it might happen when we came back, earlier. So I was ready for them."

"They didn't know what hit them," Tony said, clearly amused and impressed – as he always was, when it came to Pepper. "I don't know when she learned Wakandan tribal traditions, but she started spouting off all kinds of precedents and advising that she isn't ready to receive any offers at this time."

"Not to mention," Pepper added. "I can't, really. I'm not a member of the _tribe_."

Peter looked at her, uncertainly.

"You _are_, though, right?" he didn't like the idea of him and Tony doing something and her being excluded. "I mean-"

"Nope. She has to get the tattoo, first," Tony interrupted, and it was clear he was amused by the restriction. Which made Peter breathe a little easier, since Tony wouldn't be laughing about it if it was a sore spot with her. "There will probably be a run on the local tattoo parlor once word gets out."

"Clint never needs an excuse – just a good enough reason to convince Laura," Pepper added. She brushed her fingers through Peter's hair. "Did you have fun, tonight?"

"Yes."

"We noticed a lot of the young women were gathering around you," Tony said. "I don't know if Shuri warned you, but a lot of them are looking at you as a potential catch for a husband."

"What?"

The billionaire grinned at the way the boy's normal voice went up several octaves in that single word.

"You're new to them. A noble in a Wakandan tribe, now, and you have a lot of important connections. Which means you're perfect husband material."

"_Don't start panicking,"_ Alec said, well aware that that was a true concern. He was inside the boy's head, after all. _"He's just pointing it out to you so you don't make any promises that could be misconstrued."_

"I'm not old enough to get married."

"Just remember that," Tony told him. "Especially if one of them tries to get you alone."

Pepper rolled her eyes; Tony was enjoying this just a little too much, as far as she was concerned. Peter had gone pale – which was saying something for someone as light-skinned as he was.

"Just make sure you're careful," she told him as they walked up to the door to the suite she and Tony were sharing. "If a girl starts mentioning dowries and asking you about any significant others, take a step back – mentally, at least – and be careful what you say."

"Just use Alec," Tony suggested. "He should be able to tell if someone is coming up and being friendly because they're friendly, or if they want more than that. Yeah?"

"_Yes,"_ came the immediate reply in Peter's mind.

"Yes," Peter echoed.

"Good." Tony frowned, realizing that Peter was a lot more worried about the whole girl thing than he was. "You're okay. _Really_."

"Yeah. No. I know. I was… I didn't think about that."

"No reason you would have," his father replied. "Which is why we thought we should bring it up."

"Do you need anything?" Pepper asked.

"A hug goodnight."

She smiled and obliged, holding him close for a long moment.

"I love you."

He smiled, too.

"I love you, too."

"Straight to your room, okay?" Tony told him, also hugging him. "I don't want you running amok in the palace, tonight."

"Yeah. I won't." His room was three doors down, after all. "I'll see you in the morning."


	204. Chapter 204

_The sky was hazy and weird. Peter wasn't sure if it was just before the sun was going down, or before the sun was coming up. There wasn't much difference for him, since he could see clearly in both aspects, but when he looked around, he saw that he was standing on the plains. The African plains. There was brush all around, and a single tree in the middle of his field of vision that drew his attention to it, instantly._

_The black panthers that were sitting in the tree certainly kept his attention, and the boy felt a shiver of atavistic thrill go through him at the sight of the magnificent creatures. They were all watching him from different branches of the tree, and he walked over to stand below them, looking up. Each of them was easily bigger and heavier than he was, but he wasn't afraid. Only amazed._

_As he watched, one of the panthers on the lower branch stood up, stretching lazily, and then jumped easily down to the ground. Before Peter could be nervous being that close to the magnificent creature, there was a flash of light and instead of the panther, there was a man. One that he'd never met before, and yet recognized, immediately, because the Mind stone gave him a name and the affiliation. He didn't really look a lot like his son, being much stockier, and a lot older, but there was no doubt of who he was, simply by the way that he stood, royal and noble._

_The boy bowed, respectfully, and the old man smiled._

"_Welcome, Peter Parker."_

"_Your Majesty."_

"_You may call me T'Chaka."_

"_Thank you."_

_Another cat stood on the branch it had been reclining on, and then hopped off. An instant later, this one, too, became a man, instead, and he was dressed similarly to the old king, although his clothing looked a little more traditional. Again, Peter knew his name, and this man did resemble his grandson. Or T'Challa resembled him. One or the other. _

_As the boy watched, each cat in the tree hopped down, and turned into a former king of Wakanda. All were taller than he was, definitely more regal, and all bore the same mark. He was surprised that two were women, but they immediately reminded him of a cross between Ramonda and Natasha. Regal, beautiful, and almost certainly deadly. Why couldn't they lead their people?_

"_It has been untold generations since a new tribe has been formed within our borders," T'Chaka told the boy. "We wanted to get a look at you for ourselves."_

_Peter hesitated, wondering if they knew it was more of a ruse than actually building a new tribe, and the old man smiled at his uncertainty. It was the youngest of the two women who spoke next, however, stepping up beside her many times great grandson to look at the boy._

"_The tribe was formed to protect the stone, we know. But the honor is still deserved. All should know of what you did for them, Peter Parker. Since that would be inconvenient for you, then the Wakandans alone shall know – and they alone will bear the trust of honoring you for it. We…" and he understood that she meant all the former rulers of Wakanda who had also been black panthers. "…agree with the decisions of our prodigy – and we accept the trust you are placing in our people to guard the stone. Through perpetuity."_

_Peter smiled, feeling a weight that he hadn't even known he was carrying ease from his shoulders. Hiding an infinity stone in the land of people who didn't even know it was there put the Wakandans in danger, should anyone figure out where it was and come looking for it. Peter knew that. Only the fact that Wakanda was the perfect location to keep the stone had made him even consider it – that and that he knew he couldn't be trusted to carry the thing around with him on a daily basis._

_Otherwise, he'd keep it with him, so he alone was at risk._

"_Thank you."_

"_You are most welcome," T'Chaka told him. He smiled, and his expression suddenly changed. "Now… there is, however, the subject of my _daughter_…"_

_Peter blushed._

OOOOOOOOOOO

"You look tired…"

Ned smiled, but didn't deny it.

"I am. Got to bed way later than I meant to."

Pepper smiled, too.

"The good thing about the time change is that you'll have plenty of time to catch up on sleep before school Monday."

"That's what I figured, too. Otherwise I wouldn't have done it."

Peter knew that Ned had arrived at their room pretty late. He'd been sleeping, restlessly, and even though Ned had tried to be quiet, he'd woken. Ned had then sat on is bed and regaled him with a narrative of what he and Azoru had been up to – even after the official gathering had ended and Shuri had excused herself to go to bed, too.

From what he'd heard, it was a lot of catching up with each other since the last time they'd seen each other – and Ned had asked the older boy to teach him the role of Peter in the dance that had symbolized the battle of the compound. Peter had rolled his eyes when he'd heard that part, but Ned had simply shrugged. It had been really cool, he'd reminded his friend.

They were at breakfast, now, and even though the suite was open and Tony and Pepper were both up and ready for their day, they were the only ones eating there at the moment. Which wasn't too surprising, since Tony was certain the others had all made a late night of it the evening before, as well. It wasn't like Natasha and Steve had to be rested for the long flight home, after all. He knew the markets had stayed open late and it was very possible that the others had decided to do some last minute shopping for those who hadn't come with them.

Or maybe they simply stayed up late, talking.

Which forced him to suppress a smirk. _Talking_. Riiiiiight.

"Are you boys packed?" he asked, pulling his mind out of the gutter and away from things that were fun to speculate about, but weren't really his business.

Peter nodded, and Tony thought – not for the first time that morning – that _he_ looked tired, too.

"Yeah. I bought too many things at the market, though. Had to mooch a couple of extra bags."

"So did I," Ned agreed. "When are we going home?"

"Sometime after we're done eating – once Stephen's awake and around. So don't wander off, alright?"

"Yeah."

"Steve's going to take you home," Pepper told Ned. "Once we get back to the compound."

"Sweet." The boy looked at Peter, and then at Pepper. "Can I tell MJ about Peter's tattoo? Or is it a _secret_?"

Tony shrugged.

"She can know – but ask her not to bandy it about, will you? The shaman didn't seem to have a problem linking the spider to the Avengers. It concerns me that others might not have too much trouble linking Peter to Spiderman, if they get a good look at it."

"I didn't think about that," Ned admitted.

Peter hadn't, either.

"I could cover it," he said. "So nobody-"

"There's no need to, son," Tony assured him. "If nothing else, and one of your smart friends sees it and connects it with Spiderman, just tell them you're a huge fan of the guy." The billionaire smiled, and his expression showed nothing but love, just then. "I know _I_ am."

Which made Peter flush with pleasure and Pepper smile.


	205. Chapter 205

While they ate, they were eventually joined by the others. They came separately, or together. All looked a little sleepy – proof that they'd had long nights, too, but they all seemed fairly cheerful, as well. The table was plenty big enough for everyone, and there were two attentive servants making sure they didn't run out of offerings for the meal – including coffee, which wasn't something that the Wakandans normally drank, so it was appreciated by all of the adults.

"Are we ready?" Tony asked, finally, when the last dish had been cleared.

Everyone nodded their agreement, and dispersed to go get their luggage, while Tony asked one of the servants if they would inform the royal guards they were ready to go, so they could let T'Challa and the others know. By the time everyone returned – and Pepper was amazed at just how much extra they were taking home with them in the form of souvenirs from two days of shopping in the markets – T'Challa, Shuri, Ramonda, M'Baku and Azoru had all arrived in the suite to say their goodbyes.

Peter spent most of his time with Azoru and Ramonda, and Shuri's mother hugged him, warmly, and reminded him that he didn't need an invitation to return, now that he was formally Wakandan. Which made him smile. He shook hands with Azoru, and M'Baku, and watched as Shuri said goodbye to the others. He was going home with everyone, to unload their luggage, and to pick up the power stone, but then he was returning with Tony and Stephen – and maybe Pepper, who hadn't yet decided if she needed to be there, or not. They would meet Shuri and T'Challa on the new land of the Avenger tribe, and would take care of hiding the stone where no one could find it.

Even accidentally.

OOOOOOO

"_Welcome home, Peter."_

"Thanks, Karen. Anything interesting happen?"

It was more of a habit to ask, really, since she wasn't, yet, able to discern what he would find interesting, or not, and Tony had pointed out to him that the more times he asked for something that would make her stretch her programming by trying to decide what he meant and what would be discarded, better able she would be to work with him as he grew older. There was a slight pause, which made him smile as he put his bag on the bed to unpack it, and caught Nutmeg, who came rushing into the room, looking excited to see him – although Peter thought that it might have something to do with the bag of small bits of lightly seasoned fish that Shuri had bought in the market that weekend, specifically pointing out that while they were travel food, they made excellent pet treats, as well.

_"One of the trainees broke his thumb playing pinball."_

Peter raised an eyebrow at that.

"Really?"

That would be a fun story to hear. Embarrassing for whoever it was, but the other soldiers would be teasing him for the next few days about it. Peter made a mental note to eat a meal in the commissary sometime in the next day or two. Sometimes the soldiers would forget he was there and tell some really good stories that he knew Pepper wouldn't want him to hear – along with some jokes that he passed on to Ned as soon as he could. Sometimes they would just tell him other stories, instead, and those were pretty interesting, too, really.

"_He won the game, however."_

"That's some serious soldering on," Peter said, approvingly. He scratched his kitten's head. "Did Nutmeg destroy anything I need to replace?"

She had eyes on the cat all the time.

"_Director Fury might come asking for recompense for a figurine that he stole off a shelf. It is in the control room under one of the server shelves, in two pieces. Clint Barton is not back, yet, from his visit home, but he left his spare bowstring out, again, and it is also in the control room. The-"_

"Where's my Ironman doll?" Peter asked, realizing that it wasn't on the shelf where he'd left it – well out of reach of the kitten, but unprotected. "Tell me it's in the control room."

"_It's in the control room."_

He frowned.

"Are you telling me that because it _is_?" he asked. "Or because I told you to say that?"

"_It's in Director Fury's safe in his quarters."_

"Thank you."

T'Challa and Shuri were planning on taking one of the sleds out to the lands that Peter had been given, so they had a few hours before they needed to meet. Stephen hadn't actually seen the vibranium mine, so Peter was going to have to guide his portal with some help from Alec, but that meant that he had plenty of time to go rescue the doll and apologize for the broken figurine. He just hoped it wasn't something that Nick was really attached to.

OOOOOOO

"Where's Peter?"

Tony shrugged.

"Friday? Where's Peter?"

"_Asleep in Director Fury's quarters."_

Pepper frowned.

"Is he alright?"

"_Vitals are normal."_

"Where's _Nick_?" Natasha asked.

"_In the control room."_

"Huh." Tony looked at Pepper, who didn't look too concerned. "I'm going to go talk to Nick."

She nodded.

"Let me know if you need me."

The others watched Tony leave, and Stephen seated himself on the arm of the sofa. It was close to the time that had been agreed to; mid afternoon for the Wakandans – which meant that T'Challa and Shuri should be getting close to the vibranium mine – and close to nine am at the compound. Steve had left with Ned and Carol a few hours, before, to take the boy home, and the Wakandans would call when they were at the mine, but Stephen, Natasha, Pepper and Tony were ready.

"Cards?"

The two women nodded.

"Sounds good."

OOOOOOOOO

Fury was seated at a small desk to the side of the main control area for the compound when Tony walked in. The older man was holding a small statuette of a ballerina in one hand, and a bottle of superglue in the other. The head of the ballerina was being attached to the body.

"Are you _looking_ for someone, Tony?" he asked, not looking up from what he was doing, but clearly noticing the billionaire's arrival.

"Yes. Friday said he was in your rooms?"

Nick smiled, amused.

"He came in, told me where to find my broken dancer, here, and politely asked for his doll back. Then he showed me his new _tattoo_, and told me the story behind it. Somewhere around that time he fell asleep on my couch."

"He's alright?"

"Did I call you?"

"No."

"Then he's _fine_, isn't he?" The SHIELD director smirked. "How did Pepper handle the tattoo?"

"She was a little out of sorts," Stark admitted. He smiled. "But the deed was done before she knew what was happening, and it's a good one, really."

"So I have to get a _tattoo_ before I can join the tribe?"

"Yup. That's how it works. What happened to your doll?"

"It isn't a _doll_, Tony," Fury said. "It's a _figurine_. And considering I found it with a small hoard of arrowheads, chess pieces, bottlecaps, and three clips from a Glock, I'm forced to make the assumption that either your son's kitten is stockpiling for another war, or he's just a jerk."

"Where did he get the ammunition?" Tony asked, curiously – and a little surprised.

That wasn't something that was just left scattered around, after all.

"Who knows? He's sneaky. Maybe he has some of the same skills Peter does. For all I know a baby Flerkin can walk through walls – although he'd have done it by now, most likely." He set the ballerina down. "You're taking care of the last stone, today?"

"Correct. Probably be leaving within the next hour or so. Once T'Challa calls."

"Need anything from me?"

"Nope. I think we're good. Do you need help with your doll? Or are we going to be buying you a new one?"

"I fixed it."

"I'm going to go wake my son up and make sure he's good to go."

"Make my bed while you're in there," Fury suggested, turning his attention back to what he was doing.

Stark snorted, and left.


	206. Chapter 206

True to what he'd been told, Peter was asleep on Fury's sofa. The boy was covered, warmly, so it was obvious that the SHIELD director hadn't just left him to his nap, and Tony walked over and looked down at him, trying to decide if he was even up to the upcoming plan, or if he needed more sleep. Nutmeg was curled in a fuzzy ball somewhere near Peter's elbow, and Tony reached down and scooped the kitten up, crooning softly to him when he opened his eyes, saw who it was, and went back to sleep – although now he was purring.

The problem with letting Peter stay up so late the night before, he knew.

Since there was no pain in the sleeping boy's expression, the billionaire crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder, shaking it, gently.

"Peter?"

"Hmm?"

Tony smiled.

"Wake up, son."

There wasn't any pain in his expression when he opened his eyes, either, Tony saw. And no real exhaustion, either. He frowned, though, as he sat up, looking around, confused.

"Did I sleepwalk?"

"Nope. Came to collect your doll and fell asleep."

"Oh." He nodded, and stretched. "Yeah. Where's Nick?"

"Went to get his doll and was gluing her head back on when I left him."

"Do I need to buy him a new one?"

"He says no," Tony assured him. "I already asked. Are you still tired? We can hold off on this power stone thing another day, or two."

"No. I'm good. Thanks." Peter pushed the blanket aside and sat up. His hand felt for his pocket, and the Ironman doll that he'd stuffed in it. "Where's everyone else?"

"In my quarters. Probably playing cards." He frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Folding the blanket…"

"Just toss it on the bed."

"That wouldn't be right."

He laid it over the back of the couch and Tony shook his head. At least he hadn't made the bed or something.

"Come on."

OOOOOOO

_"He got a tattoo?"_

Ned grinned at the shock on MJ's face – even through the video call.

"Yeah. It's awesome. An A, with a spider's web, and the spider peeking out from behind it. So cool."

_"And Pepper _let _him?"_

"I think they didn't ask her, first," he said. "But he can't be in the tribe if he doesn't have a tattoo proving he's an adult."

_"He's only sixteen."_

"That's old enough to be an adult in Wakanda," Ned reminded her. "And now he's a _noble_. You should have seen the girls flocking around him. Shuri had to come and run interference for him to keep them at bay."

MJ's expression was as neutral as she could make it.

_"How did he handle that?"_

"Which part? The girls? Or Shuri?"

_"The girls."_

"Way differently than I would have," Ned said, shaking his head. "I'd have had them lining up and taking a _number_. Peter was pretty much hiding from them."

_"You're such a Neanderthal…"_

The boy smirked, and beat his chest like Tarzan.

"I'm going to talk my mom into letting me get a tattoo."

_"Good luck with that."_

"You could get one, too," Ned added. "We get you into the tribe and that'll bring up the IQ a few more points. Maybe we can all have the same shaman that inked Peter give us ours, as well."

_"Does your mom know where you really went?"_ she asked, pointedly.

"No. Of course not. Why do you think I'm hiding in my room and talking to you while she's at the store?"

_"Because you're smart."_ She frowned. _"Tony isn't worried about the connection between the tattoo and Spiderman?"_

"No one's going to get that close, really," Ned pointed out, dismissively. "Even if they do, though, he'll just tell them that he's a fan, or something."

_"Or a fan of Black Widow… they all know that, already."_

"_She_ has a tattoo, already, too," Ned said. "Somewhere on her hip. And ask me where Tony's is…"

_"I'm afraid to…"_

Ned smirked.

"On his _ass_. He told us he got drunk and had it done a long time ago. If I got one on my ass, my mom wouldn't ever see it… I wouldn't even have to ask for permission."

_"That's up to you,"_ MJ told him, amused. _"But if she found out about it, she'd probably cut it out with a dull knife."_

"Maybe." He shrugged. "We brought you back a lot of souvenirs," he told her. "But we're telling everyone that they're just commissions that we ordered and that finally arrived."

_"That's nice."_

"Yeah. Cause we're _nice_ guys."

_"Says the guy who wants to get the tattoo on his ass without consulting his mom."_

"I'm a nice guy," Ned told her, also amused. "Not crazy. Call Peter later. Maybe he'll show you the tattoo."

_"I will."_

OOOOOOO

The late afternoon sun hit them all when they walked through the portal, and Peter's enhanced eyesight made him bring a hand up to block it out for just a moment. Tony smiled when he saw T'Challa and Shuri standing near the opening to the vibranium mine, with Okoye standing beside T'Challa and a few other royal guards standing near a pair of land sleds.

The fact that they were meeting wasn't a secret, really, and T'Challa had to have guards – especially when he was with his sister – but it was clear the guards weren't going to know what was happening. Despite the fact that Tony knew they were trustworthy. They would speculate, but only the royal family would actually know what was being kept at the bottom of the mine.

"Have you been waiting long?" Tony asked when he walked over with Peter, Pepper, Natasha, and Stephen behind him.

Pepper wasn't really needed, there – nor was Natasha – but both had expressed an interest in going, and Tony wouldn't have dreamed of arguing with either of them.

"We have only recently arrived," T'Challa assured him. He smiled a greeting to the others and looked at Peter. "Are you ready to see your mines?"

Peter didn't mention that he'd seen one of them, before. The mine they were standing in front of was different than the one he'd won from T'Challa playing chess, but they were close by each other. It was part of the new land parcel for the Avenger's tribe.

"Yes. Thank you."

He greeted Okoye, who nodded a hello, but didn't look happy. The reason for that became clear when they all headed into the darkness of the mine, but Okoye stayed at the opening.

"She will guard our passageway," T'Challa told them, as they walked around the first curve of the mine and the darkness became much more pronounced.

Shuri waved a hand in front of them and there was a gentle glow coming from the glove that she wore on her hand. It preceded them along the passageway, and Peter stepped up to walk beside her as they walked.

"Are you nervous?" Shuri asked him.

"No. I'm okay."

"We have set up a small grotto," T'Challa told them all, speaking just loud enough to be heard. "It is not at the very bottom of the mine, as that would be an obvious place for concealment. Instead, it is at about the halfway point – with a sharp turn that runs to a seam that played out long before the others. Shuri has brought a few different devices that can be used to repel anyone – or anything – that might happen by, with varying degrees of force."

"Any way to just keep people from coming down here at all?" Natasha asked.

"It is on another tribe's lands," the Wakandan replied. "There should be no trespassers. However, children will do foolish things, and evil men will not obey written laws, much traditional ones. It is better to be certain."

"Agreed," Stephen said, nodding his approval.

Of course, _he_ had his infinity stone hidden away behind a barrier that protected it from pretty much everyone. It was clear _he_ didn't trust people to keep their noses out of where they didn't belong.

"It is a bit of a walk," Shuri told them. "But this is the mine that produced the least ore, and as such it will be the one least interesting should someone come looking for adventure – or baubles."

They didn't mind. Pepper and Tony had already been besieged with questions from some of the others about becoming members of the Avengers tribe, and what the process was going to be to do it. Peter listened as they walked, because he was hoping to invite Ned and MJ both to become members, even if they had to wait until they were able to get their tattoos.

"Did Ned go home?" Shuri asked.

"Yeah. When we left the first time. He has to get ready for school, tomorrow, and he really didn't have a good reason to be here with us – although I know he would have been interested."

"He had a good time this weekend?"

"Of course." Peter smiled, even though she couldn't really see it. "I did, too."

Shuri smiled at that, too, and her hand brushed against his in the dim light of the tunnel. Peter caught it in his own, automatically, and went back to listening to T'Challa explain how to make the Avengers into tribal members.

The handhold wasn't missed on any of the adults behind them, but no one said a word about it. Pepper smiled, and reached for Tony's hand, too, squeezing it, lightly, when he took it.

When this was over, she might have him have another talk with his son.

Just to be on the safe side.


	207. Chapter 207

"If we go any further down, we're going to hit _China_…"

Shuri looked over at Peter, not bothering to hide her confusion.

"Why would we hit China?"

Tony snorted his amusement, and Peter tossed him an exasperated look before turning to his friend.

"It's an expression."

"One that works better when you're on the _other_ side of the planet," Stephen pointed out.

They _had_ been walking for quite a while, with many turns and change of directions, ducking into mine shafts that were getting progressively smaller as they traversed them. The pace was leisurely, though, and none of them were uncomfortable in the closed in space. There was plenty of air thanks to clever ventilation shafts that didn't rely on mechanical assistance, even as deep as they were, and plenty of light to see by.

"True."

"We are almost there," Shuri assured him.

Even as she said it, they were rounding yet another bend, and found themselves at a dead end, with a very small alcove that went off to the right for maybe ten feet.

"How did you know this was here?" Pepper asked, peeking in with a flashlight that Stephen had produced from his pocket.

"When T'Challa told me what was needed, I immediately thought of these mines. We explored Peter's during your stay after your wedding, remember? These mines have all been extensively mapped – although no one has interest in them once they played out – so I found several different options, and this one is the best I could find." She looked at Peter. "If you would prefer a different one, I could look again."

He shook his head.

"This one's great."

"What do you plan to do?" T'Challa asked. "Just toss it in and bring a wall down around it?"

The boy smiled, but Shuri spoke before he could.

"I have a portable field that can keep people out. It will radiate an extremely low power output, so no one will know it is here, and the properties of the vibranium in the walls will power it for centuries."

As she was speaking, she pulled a small device from the bag that she'd had slung over her shoulder.

"That's not necessary," Peter told her. He and Alec had had a long discussion about the best way to protect the power stone from discovery – accidental or otherwise. "The stone will protect itself. We should use _your_ shield to keep people from coming this direction, at all. Maybe back at that last turn?"

"Whatever you think is best."

"Thanks." He looked into the little grotto, as well, pulling the polymorph out of his pocket as he did. It was perfect, really. The walls were dark with unprocessed vibranium, which was everywhere, but apparently not in such quantity as to be worth mining. The vibranium would keep anyone from being able to just scan the mine for any anomaly – presuming they got past the Wakandan's technology to even have a chance. "It's just what I need."

"What can we do?" Pepper asked, watching as he looked at the perfect sphere he was holding, and glad that this was going to be the last time they had to worry about a stone popping out of the thing and causing her son any pain.

"Not much." He looked at her, and gave her a reassuring smile, as if to apologize for the concern she was feeling. "It won't take too long."

"What are you going to do?" Shuri asked, curiously.

"It has a lot of power," Peter told her – and the others. "So I'm going to harness it, if can, and use that power to protect it from being found."

"A beacon of energy would draw attention," Shuri pointed out.

"It'll be subtle." He looked at T'Challa. "I'm not going to risk your people."

"They are your people, too, now, Peter," the king reminded him.

"All the more reason to keep the stone from being found." He looked at the sphere in his hand, and then at the others. "Probably should take a few steps back."

"I'm _not_ going to be happy if you bring this mine down on us," Tony told him with a straight face, but an amused gleam in his expression that Peter could see, easily. "You _know_ that, right?"

The boy smiled, too, feeling less nervous, as he knew Tony had probably intended.

"I'll take it under advisement."

They all stepped back, but still watched as Peter concentrated on his right hand. He tapped his hip to activate the vibranium suit that Shuri had made him, and a moment later, the polymorph shifted, and the glove formed over the suit, adding insulation. Which was handy, because the power stone oozed out from under the dark material and was suddenly in the palm of the boy's hand, glowing dully.

Peter felt the familiar ache going through his hand, and along his arm, and even into his chest. He winced, but even as he felt the pain, he could also feel the powerful stone connecting with him. It wasn't cheerful, like the teleportation stone, and it didn't actually say anything in his mind. But he could feel it greet him and there was an undercurrent of satisfaction and smugness about the thing. There was also a question, though, and Peter hesitated, looking at it and trying to figure out what it was saying.

"_Asking you what else you want to do, maybe?"_ Alec suggested. He was along for the trip, but he couldn't talk to the stone any more than the boy could, as it wasn't sentient and as such not something he could 'read'. _"Try to limit the response to just getting it to help hide itself from discovery,"_ the alien sorcerer added. _"The last thing we want, really, is for it to think we want to build a pyramid, or something."_

"_Think it would?"_

"_Yes. The thing will do anything you ask it to do. But let's not complicate things."_

Peter felt the stone agree when Alec told him it could – and would – do anything he wanted. It would build him a pyramid, if he asked it to do so. It would build him a mountain, if he wanted. It would level one, too, if that mountain was blocking his view. He suddenly felt an urge to build something. Something amazing. He could build bridges where none were, but where they might be needed. Build an entire city in a matter of moments. Could take on the world and come out ahead, no matter who was in front of him. Could-

"_Hey…"_ Alec's voice in his mind pulled him from the thought, even as the stone in his hand flared. Peter looked down, realizing that he'd clenched his fist around the thing. "_We're hiding it. Remember. Nothing more."_

"_Yeah. Sorry." _

Peter opened his hand, again, and concentrated on the stone. It didn't speak to him like the teleportation stone did, but it could still understand him. He told it what he wanted, making sure that it understood, and then felt its agreement. A moment later he gasped when the flare of energy coursed through his hand and he felt it. The was a bright light that was blinding in the dark of the mine, and a moment of pure agony that made him grit his teeth to choke back the pained noise that tried to escape.

Then the light cleared, and he was able to see, again – although his hand was throbbing. He looked down at it, first, suddenly afraid that it might be wounded like it had been the first time. The polymorph retracted back into the sphere and he tapped the suit to deactivate it. His hand was red, but it didn't hurt, too much, and when he moved his fingers, they all did what they were supposed to do.

"Peter?"

He looked over at Tony's voice, even as he felt a hand under his arm, supporting him. He had stepped up beside him and was looking worried. Behind him, he saw the others were also looking at him – or over his shoulder.

"I'm okay."

"Wow…"

Peter turned to look over his shoulder, as well, following Shuri's gaze, and had to agree with the statement – even though he didn't say it aloud. The small grotto was transformed, now, and there was a little shelf in the far end. On that shelf that was apparently carved out of the rock was the power stone. Surrounding it around the back was a thick wall of vibranium, and in the front was a faint glow of power that told Peter it wouldn't be wise to try and reach for it.

The entrance to the grotto itself was also blocked, now, and Peter wondered how he'd ended up on the other side of it, when he hadn't felt himself moving. The boy brought his hand up to the wall of glowing blue light that was so powerful he could feel the energy coming off of it well before he got anywhere close to touching it.

"Don't touch that, Peter," Tony chided.

"I'm not."

"That's pretty impressive," Stephen said, walking up to stand beside Peter. "Is it using its own power to feed these shields?"

Peter shook his head.

"They aren't shields. It's the power of the stone, itself," Peter replied. "That way it doesn't rely on any tech to keep it hidden. It just does it."

"What would happen if I touched the barrier?" Shuri asked, curiously, also stepping up.

"Do not even consider it," her brother told her, firmly, well aware that the question and the deed were not always far apart when it came to the young woman. "I would not have you injured."

Peter had a sudden insight, and he smiled.

"It wouldn't hurt you," he replied. To demonstrate, he put his hand against the light and felt it pressing against him, holding him back. "It's linked in with the mind stone," he added to Stephen. "So it'll know who is just an accidental explorer who just happened to find the wrong spot and who is actively seeking it."

"And if someone is actively seeking it?" Natasha asked, resting her hand against the light, right beside Peter's. "Then what?"

"I guess it zaps them," Peter said, uncertainly. "I'm not sure, and it isn't telling me."

"It talks to you?" T'Challa asked, also moving in for a closer look.

It was really very pretty.

"No. I just get feelings."

"Huh." Tony frowned, and then put his hand against the light barrier, as well. "Are we done, here, then?" he asked.

"Yeah."

The billionaire reached for Pepper's hand, again, probably to make sure she wasn't worried about Peter – who looked as if he came out unscathed.

"Stephen? Why don't you save us the walk back to the surface? Please?"

The sorcerer rolled his eyes, but he was amused.

"That could be arranged."


	208. Chapter 208

The portal opened at the entrance to the mine. Okoye was close at hand, talking to a couple of her underlings and noticed the light that marked the 'technology'. She walked over even as they were emerging, and they could all see that she was quickly sizing the small party up to make sure everyone was uninjured – specifically T'Challa and Shuri, of course.

"We have concluded our business," T'Challa informed her.

"Yes, my King."

Tony looked at Peter, now that they were in the light of the day rather than the mine. The boy looked a bit worn out, and was holding his hand, protectively, but he looked much better than he and Pepper had worried he'd be when they were done in the mine. As they'd been walking down into the darkness, Tony, Pepper and T'Challa had made plans to return to the palace with T'Challa and discuss the formalities of the Avenger tribe. They needed a map to show just what lands were now belonging to the tribe, and where all of their neighbors were in reference to that land. They also needed to know what would be expected of them in the future. Wakanda was still somewhat of a mystery to all of them, of course.

Even though, technically, Peter was the only actual member of the tribe, thus far, there was no doubt in T'Challa's mind that the rest soon would be, as well, and that was only to the good, since T'Challa knew Peter couldn't handle the running of the tribe on his own. Besides, he knew Pepper and Tony would want to be part of that discussion. And they were better equipped to take on the responsibilities.

Now, though, Tony thought that Peter might not really feel up to doing all of that. He knew if he _asked_, however, that he probably wouldn't admit it. So, he made a dad decision and took the question away.

"Natasha? Do me a favor and take Peter home, will you? I don't want him falling asleep in the corridor because he didn't make it to his room." He smiled at his son, not bothering to hide just how proud he was of the boy. "We'll see you when we get home, alright? It's bad form to fall asleep in the middle of meetings – especially when you're meeting with a _king_."

Peter smiled at that, the gentle chiding taking away the sting of being babied. He wouldn't have minded toughing it out, but he _would_ definitely prefer to just go home – and Tony had given him an easy out to allow it. He nodded, looking at Natasha to see if she minded going with him. He _could_ go by himself, of course.

She just smirked.

"Of course." The assassin didn't look at all disappointed at the thought of missing a long and boring meeting. "Say your goodbyes," she told Peter. "I'll even tuck you in."

He shook his head, amused, turned to Shuri and hugged her. "Thanks for everything."

She smiled at him.

"You are welcome."

"If I don't see you any time soon, don't forget to remind your brother that your birthday is coming up, and he's already agreed to allow you to have a party at the compound."

T'Challa rolled his eyes at the reminder of the lost chess game, but Shuri just smiled, excited at the thought.

"I will thus inform him."

"Which means she will continually nag me until I am ready to climb out the window to escape," the young king told Tony and Pepper.

"Whatever works."

Peter offered T'Challa his hand.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome. Begin deciding who is going to be invited to join your tribe."

"I will."

Natasha moved away from Stephen's side to stand beside Peter, and they both looked at the sorcerer, expectantly. With a sigh of long suffering, the sorcerer supreme brought up a portal that led directly into Peter's living room. There was no doubt that Strange would stay for the meeting. Not only because he was Tony and Pepper's easy ticket home, but because he was interested in the proceedings, and knew Wong would want to know as well.

Peter waved at Okoye and walked through the portal, followed immediately by Natasha. It closed behind them.

"How's the hand?" she asked as soon as they were alone.

"Hurts a little. Nothing like before, though."

"Good. Karen? Where's Nutmeg?"

"_In the control room."_

She scowled.

"If he has any more of my ammunition, I'm going to poke him with one of Clint's arrowheads."

Peter smiled at that.

"How did he get it?"

He knew she didn't leave that kind of thing laying around, after all.

"He's a cat." She shrugged, not realizing that she'd echoed Fury's exact words. "Why don't you get changed into something you can sleep in? I'll go find your kitten and we'll keep you company for a while."

"I could go get him."

"I know. But I want to check in on things, anyway. You know that."

True.

He nodded, and she left. Peter pulled the polymorph out of one pocket of his jeans and the Ironman doll out of the other, smiling down at it when he felt the toddler's surge of happiness at the sight of the toy he loved so much. It meshed well with his own satisfaction, just then, and he was still smiling when he formed the polymorph into the cage around the doll and put it up on the shelf to keep it safe.

He went into his bedroom and changed into sweats and a t-shirt, favoring the right hand, but not really needing to, too much. It was aching, but like he'd said, it didn't hurt anything like it _had_. One stone was easy enough; it was when they started ganging up on him that he had the most trouble. He pulled the extra blanket off the foot of his bed and carried it out into the living room. He wouldn't really admit it, but he was a bit tired.

He was just settling on the couch when there was a slight knock on his door and Natasha walked in, Nutmeg tucked under her arm.

"Did he break anything?"

"Your sweet, innocent baby?" she asked, affecting shock – although her eyes were shining with amusement. "Of course not."

"Nothing?"

"Well… you might need to reimburse Agent Hall for a coffee cup that _may_ have accidentally been knocked off the desk."

Peter rolled his eyes, smiling as Natasha set Nutmeg on the back of the sofa.

"I wonder how long he'll be annoying and little…"

"Who knows? His kind might have five-year childhoods. He could be a kitten until you're ninety, for that matter."

"Ugh."

She smirked, and looked at the couch, pointedly.

"Can I sit with you? Or are you going to nap?"

Peter sat up a little, patting the spot beside him, invitingly.

"You know you don't have to ask."

Which made the assassin smile, and she settled, gracefully, beside him, and gathered him into her arms to cuddle. Peter went, willingly, and rested his cheek against her collarbone.

"You've come a long way, Peter Parker," she said, softly, after a few minutes of comfortable silence. "Haven't you?"

He made a noise that was definitely agreement.

"I'm not there, yet, though. Am I?"

"Maybe not. But we're getting close, I think." She smiled. "What makes someone an Avenger?"

Peter smiled, recalling a conversation that they'd had. Similar positions, but in the back of an SUV, and he was a lot more uncertain about himself, his abilities, and those around him back then. Of course, he'd just had a couple of red-neck truckers try to 'rescue' him from Tony and Stephen, so it only made sense that he was.

"Heart."

"Right."

"And a _tattoo_."

Natasha chuckled.

"_Wrong_." She kissed his temple, enjoying a little quiet time with him. "You saved the universe, stopped a madman and were wise enough to know that you couldn't keep those stones for your own purposes. That's a lot for one scrawny little guy. And you didn't even _have_ the tattoo, yet."

"I was tempted to keep the power stone," he admitted. "It was trying to talk me into doing things that would change the world. Or maybe I was trying to talk myself into it."

"You don't need any rocks to do that," she assured him. "You just need to be you. One little guy at a time."

"Yeah."

"I'm proud of you, baby."

He smiled, even though she couldn't see it, and he closed his eyes, content with his world in every way – despite the ache in his hand.

"Thanks, Natasha."

They sat in silence for a long time, neither in any hurry to go anywhere or do anything, just then. Eventually, lulled by her protective presence, Peter drifted off to sleep. The deadliest woman in the world shifted, just a little, contentedly, and then looked at the young Flerkin sprawled on the back of the sofa, almost asleep, as well.

"If you take any more of my ammunition, I'm going to have you neutered."

Nutmeg yawned, unconcerned, closed his eyes and went to sleep.


	209. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"I can't believe your mom and dad said yes…"

MJ smiled, looking smug, and shrugged.

"My parents have never had any reason to doubt my good judgement and have always rewarded that by letting me make my own decisions in life."

Ned rolled his eyes.

"I've never given my mom reason to not trust my judgement," he pointed out. "But I had to beg for a week and a half, turn my big, brown eyes up to magnify of ten and promise to never get another one. For the _rest of my lif_e. That's a long time."

"_And_ he had to promise to do the dishes," Peter added. "For a month."

MJ smirked at that.

"I guess I win."

"I'm not complaining," Ned told her, good-naturedly. He looked around the lounge. "This is frakking _awesome_."

They weren't alone in the room. Despite it being the weekend, there were several people present. The most important – at least as far as _Ned_ was concerned, just then – was the professional tattoo artist that Pepper had carefully screened before hiring her to come out to the compound that weekend. She didn't know it, but she was going to make several people eligible to be members of the newest tribe in one of the most isolated countries on the planet. What she _did_ know was that she was sitting in a room filled with avengers, many of whom had been working with her, individually, to design their own personalized tattoo.

Each had the Avenger A – because _that_ was the requirement to be in the tribe – but beyond that, each had their own variation of it. None were going to be alike. The closest had been done without realizing it, since Peter and Natasha both had the spider theme to theirs.

"Who's first?" the tattoo artist asked, now that she was settled in at a table.

She had been there since Friday evening, which was when they'd started showing her their designs. A skilled artist, she'd tweaked the ideas for each, and had smoothed out any uncertainties. It had also given her a chance to meet everyone and lose the nervousness that came with being in a room of superheroes.

"Me."

Not surprisingly, Ned seated himself, eagerly, in the chair, pulling his shirt off to bare his chest. He wanted his tattoo in the same position that Peter had his. His tattoo was going to be the A, sitting in a char with a laptop leaning against it. Peter had been all for him getting the tattoo, but had been concerned that Ned would feel that it just made him a supporting role, when the guy had been his best friend for as long as he could remember. More like a _brother_ than anything, really. Ned had scoffed, saying that the chair was perfect, and that since he couldn't have a skull and crossbones (because his mom would literally cut it off his hide with a pair of scissors if he did) that was what he really wanted.

"Why am I not surprised?" Tony asked, walking over to take the spot beside Peter and MJ as they watched the artist confirm where the tattoo was going. Pepper was sitting at the table, as well, watching, protectively, and planning on proving to be a distraction for any stinging. The billionaire was holding Ironpig tucked under his arm, and the piglet – who was getting too big to really be carried around like he was – was dressed in a red and gold sweater. "I can't believe his mom agreed."

"Right?" Peter smirked. "Did you see Stephen's?"

"I did, and it's _awesome_."

Strange had had absolutely no intention of getting an Avenger tattoo. He liked them all – and was dating one, _seriously_ – but it wasn't something that sorcerers did, he'd told them. Wong had rolled his eyes and snorted, and immediately asked if he could be in the Avenger tribe. When Stephen had looked surprised, the other magician reminded him that becoming a member of a tribe in Wakanda would give him access to not just the Avenger tribe, but all of the history of the other tribes, as well.

Pretty much all of the knowledge of the country, from the beginning of its founding.

As far as Wong was concerned, that was worth it. Strange had looked a little stunned – as if he hadn't thought of that – but had quickly schooled his features, and shrugged, nonchalantly. If Peter really wanted him to be a part of his tribe, who was he to say no and disappoint the boy. Not at all fooled, Natasha had rolled her eyes, and asked what they were going to make for their own designs. Wong had come up with an open book and the A in the middle of one of the pages, while Stephen's had been the A with the Cloak of Levitation dropped over it, much as if the A were the sorcerer supreme being levitated by the cloak.

It was amazing, really, and Peter had approved.

Peter smiled, looking around the room at the others. Getting the tattoos done would take most of the day, but they weren't in any hurry.

"Steve's is going to have his shield in the background," MJ said. "Not a big shock."

Peter had seen MJ's, as well. Everyone had been willing to let him see theirs. MJ had been pleased when Peter told her about the trip to Wakanda and the formation of the new tribe for the Avengers. She'd been pleased that he'd offered her a chance to be in it – although he'd hesitated to add that she had to have a tattoo to make it official. Her tattoo – which would be on her ankle and out of sight most of the time – was the Thinker, with the A in his hand, staring at it. It was small, but was well thought out.

"Yeah." Tony put his hand on Peter's shoulder, clearly enjoying himself. The boy was healed, and doing great, his friends were all there (aside from Shuri, of course, who had a busy schedule that weekend) and he was having a good time, with a chance to socialize and not have the weight of the world hanging over his head, or bearing down on his shoulders. "Carol's going to have one that is zooming around in the air, Clint's is an arrow instead of a cross bar – or course. Dena's will be a pink elephant." He grinned at that.

"And Mr. Fury?" MJ asked. She was a little afraid of Nick, and hadn't asked him to show her his design, but the former SHIELD director was in the room, Nutmeg in his lap as he sat on one of the sofas, also enjoying himself as he chatted with Natasha and Wong. "What is he getting?"

"He already _has_ one," Peter told her. "He got his at the same time Natasha did – only her cross bar is a knife and _his_ is a bullet going through the A. I think he's just here to make sure no one looks cooler than him when they're done."

Tony snorted his amusement to that – and the fact that it was probably the truth.

"Did you see mom's?" he asked his son.

"Yeah." Of course Pepper was going to get one. She couldn't (make that _wouldn't_) let Peter and Tony be in a Wakandan tribe without her there to make sure everything went smoothly. Which was wise, of course, both of the guys thought. Pepper had been taking care of Tony for a long time, looking out for him from behind the scenes. She'd added Peter to that scope of responsibility more than willingly, and she was already well versed in the few requirements and commitments that would be needed from the others to _maintain_ that tribe. "It's awesome."

They both looked over at her, and as if she felt their gazes, Pepper looked up and met their eyes. She smiled, winked at them, and then turned her attention back to Ned, who was being told – _again_ – that he needed to sit still, or his tattoo was going to be wiggly. She didn't have time to make googly eyes with them, just then. She needed to keep her promise to Ned's mother that his tattoo would end up being tasteful.

Tony smiled.

"I'm going to go talk to Nick. You two stay out of trouble."

Peter nodded his agreement, smiling as he watched him go.

"Thanks for inviting me out," MJ told him.

"Thanks for coming." He felt much more comfortable with her, now, than he had before. It was a relief, really. "Ned and I are going to go show off our tattoos to the people down at the gas station, later. Want to come?"

"Will you buy me a corn dog?"

"Of course."

They were going to be barbequing throughout the day, but there really wasn't anything better than a fresh corndog.

"Sure."

They turned their attention back to the others in the room, and Peter couldn't help but smile.

It was a good day to be an Avenger, after all.

THE END

_A/N: Okay! So I know it was long and drawn out, but I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. This is actually the finale of what I initially intended for this AU way back when I started it. I'm not saying I'm not going to write more tales, because I love the world I've built during the writing of my story, but now they will be satellite stories, with no necessary plot, and just for fun. It's been suggested I write another story with the toddler Peter, and of course, Shuri's birthday will be a story (maybe the next one) but I do appreciate you guys coming along for this ride with me and all the support and comments you've given me._

_I hope you're all happy, healthy, and safe out there._


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